


After The Facts

by MissunyTheHomie



Category: The Facts of Life
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crime Thriller-esque, Drama, F/F, Humor, Romance, graphic depictions of crime scenes, the facts of life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 06:10:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15309156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissunyTheHomie/pseuds/MissunyTheHomie
Summary: (Note: Second attempt at this story)Inspired by the Facts of Life reunion movie, Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie meet each other face to face for the first time in five years after college. They have their little reunion at Edna's Edibles so they can reconnect with their old mentor, who is more than happy to see "her girls." Afterwards, they find themselves getting drawn into each other's lives as the Warner company's new hotel empire starts declining due to scandal. Blair struggles to keep the company afloat, Jo deals with inner demons, Tootie finds herself torn between career opportunities, and Natalie finds that her new job isn't as satisfying as she had hoped.





	1. 1-The Reuinion of the Musketeers

**Author's Note:**

> So...This is a second attempt at writing a fic based on The Facts of Life. The first one I was trying to write was deleted by accident. After some thinking, I decided to take the opportunity to rewrite the story so it would be more interesting. I feel like what I was trying to write before was aimless.  
> So yeah, I apologize, but I hope this attempt will be better.
> 
> Quick notes: As before with the first fic, this take place in modern times. The timeline for the girls' schooldays had to be fiddled with in order to match up with our current time, so think of it as an AU. In this story, the time period is in the early 2000s, where the girls are in their 20s. Future stories will probably take place in the present. Also, the last few seasons are ignored in this story.

October 1st, 2002-Edna's Edibles

Dust could barely be seen as it fell from the ceiling. The fading light from the windows shined through and created evening shadows in the little store. An elderly woman scurried from shelf to shelf, dusting them off, wanting to keep them as clean as possible. Edna Garrett kept looking up at the clock with anxious eyes, hoping her guests would arrive on time. It felt like a lifetime ago that her four girls were bustling about the shop gossiping, arguing checking inventory. She had known them from their schooldays at Eastland, when she served as their in-house dietitian. In all those years, the group had grown very close.

It had been five years since she saw the girls in the flesh. They had all grown up, gone to college and were now on their own. They had all, of course, kept in contact by phone, but the old woman wanted to see what kind of women they had become. That is why she had invited them to come and spend time together for a little reunion, to which they excitedly agreed to. 

Mrs. Garrett made one more sweep of the store, then went into the main house to make sure it was neat and tidy. While fluffing the throwaway pillows on the couch, she heard the bell to the store's door chime. Filled with excitement, she scuttled back into the store and saw a beautiful young woman standing there. The gorgeous blond, with her hair cascading around her shoulders, was looking around the store with admiration in her bright brown eyes, seemingly taking in the nostalgia. She wore a lovely white jacket that shielded her navy-blue blouse and black jeans, with stylish leather boots to match. When she saw the elderly woman, a big happy grin crossed her face.

"Mrs. Garrett! It's so good to see you," Blair Warner exclaimed as she lovingly hugged her old mentor once she came closer. Edna smiled widely and chimed, "Oh Blair, you look wonderful! You've barely aged." She took a good look at the young woman. Blair was in her early twenties, and it seemed like her beauty was at its peak. Her face was radiant with charm and class, which was intensified with a light touch of makeup. 

"Are the others here," asked Blair, looking around to see if she can find another familiar face. The old woman shook her head and replied, "Not yet, but they should be here soon. Why don't you sit down?" She led the heiress over to the little old table that sat in the middle of the room. Just as Blair was about to sit down, she heard the bell ring and quickly straightened herself up. Turning around, she found Mrs. Garrett hugging a familiar face. Dorothy (or Tootie) Ramsey looked gorgeous, Blair thought. Her black hair was short and stylish, and her face was beaming with pride and confidence. 

"Blair," she called out excitedly as she took off her leopard-patterned coat, revealing her dark purple shirt with white pants. She embraced her old friend, but then looked away dramatically and pretended to pout, stating, "You haven't called me in weeks. I'm hurt!" Blair smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry Tootie. It's been hectic lately..." She sighed and added, "I hate being the president of a company..."

Her friend gave her a sympathetic grin and replied, "Oh I know. I'm only playing." The two girls let giggles escape their lips before hearing the bell ring again. Turning, they saw the big happy smile of Natalie Green, who wore a heavy brown jacket that covered up her green polo shirt and jeans. She was still plump and pretty, especially with her chestnut brown hair being fluffed at the ends. She was quickly bombarded by hugs.

"Guys, long time no see," exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around each woman. She noticed Tootie and let out a whistle, expressing, "Wow Tootie, you look amazing! Acting's treated you well." Her best friend grinned proudly and strutted around her, saying, "Thank you, and it has." Blair giggled while Nat rolled her eyes. The trio eagerly chatted while Mrs. Garrett watched them, smiling to herself. She then wondered when the fourth member would arrive.

 

Some time had gone by. The girls were sitting at the little table munching on lemon bars Edna had put out for them. They discussed about what they had all been up to. Blair groaned about her grievances with being president of the Warner Textiles Company, and how stressful the new hotel enterprise project was.(Several times, mentioning that she wished she had become a lawyer instead) Natalie excitedly talked about her job as a reporter for CNN, and her goal of becoming a producer there. Finally, Tootie boasted about her successful career as an actress off of Broadway, though she admitted she hoped to take her career further. Mrs. Garrett looked up at the clock and realized it was almost dinner time, and her final guest had not arrived. 

"I wonder where Jo is," she commented. The girls looked at each other as the realization of Jo's absence registered. Blair shrugged and replied, "Traffic I suppose." After some thinking, Natalie asked, "Say, has anyone talked to Jo lately? I haven't been able to reach her in a couple of months."  The two other friends tried to find any recent conversations with the tomboy from their memories, but none came to them. Tootie furrowed her brow and said with slight concern, "I don't think I have, actually. What about you Blair?" The blond shook her head and replied, "No, I haven't." The women were aware that Jo was busy with her police duties, so they reasoned that it was nothing more than a work overload taking up her time. 

Suddenly, the four women heard the raging sound of a motorcycle pulling up. Knowing who it was, they all felt the anticipation of seeing the allusive biker. Edna got up and quickly opened the door, revealing Jo Polniaczek. The biker took off her helmet, allowing her dark brown hair flow freely around her neck and shoulders. Her leather jacket covered her plaid shirt and worn-out jeans, as well as her burly frame. She smiled at the former mentor and greeted her, "Hey Mrs. G." Edna sighed with relief and pulled the taller woman into a hug, saying, "Oh Jo, there you are! We were starting to worry about you." 

Tootie and Natalie jumped up and ran over to Jo to embraced her. Blair watched the gruff woman squirm uncomfortably from the affection she was receiving. The heiress eyes lit up when her dear friend approached her, saying with a grin, "Hey Blair, how's it goin'n?" Blair returned her grin and replied, "It's good to see you Jo." They then embraced each other warmly. The duo had an odd, sometimes difficult friendship, which often included big fights and nasty comments. But over the years, they learned to mellow out. While hugging her, Blair felt Jo's grasp become tighter, almost like she was afraid to let go. The blond politely said, "Um, Jo, you can let go now."

The tough woman quickly unhooked her grasp and shyly hid her hands in her pockets, gruffly answering, "Uh, sorry. I got caught up in the moment." Natalie and Tootie snickered, which earned them a glare from the brunette. She cleared her throat loudly and asked, "Any food around? I'm starved." Blair rolled her eyes and huffed, "Of course, we haven't spoken to you in months, and the first thing out of your mouth is that you're hungry." Jo glared at the heiress and grumbled, only to be interrupted by Mrs. Garrett, who said, "Now now, don't worry everyone. I have a wonderful dinner all prepared!"

With that, she herded her former students into the living quarters.

 

After finishing the heavy, delicious dinner, the group sat in the living room and discussed old times and current times. They realized how much they missed each other's company, and how little time they made for one another. Blair and Jo spent part of the time bickering, to no one's surprise, and Natalie got to hear all about the gossip about the various actors Tootie had worked with. Finally, they all fell into comfortable silence, enjoying the peace. Their minds wandered to various, unknown places. A thought came to Tootie's mind, and prompted her to ask, "Say Jo, you didn't tell us what's been new with you."

As if it had hit a nerve, the brunette stiffened and crossed her arms tightly. She stared at the rug, her eyes fixated on it, as if she had blacked out. Blair, who was sitting next to her, watched the muscles in her friend's arms flex from tension. She carefully placed her hand on her arm and asked, "Jo?" Blinking a few times, the bicker replied vaguely, "Oh, nothin'n new..." 

Natalie rose an eyebrow and inquired, "Nothing new? Are you sure? Last time we talked, you said that your superior talked about giving you a big promotion." The brunette stood up and briskly excused herself before walking off to find the restroom. The group looked at each other with concern. What kind of reaction was that? Mrs. Garrett, sensing that the subject was a sensitive one, firmly instructed, "Ok, Jo's clearly tense. I suggest we just leave the subject alone for now." The others nodded in agreement, then pretended nothing had happened when the tomboy returned. Soon the tension melted away and the group were allowed to cheerfully mingle once again.

 

"Now, do you want to meet up for breakfast, lunch or dinner," asked Edna as she followed the girls back into the shop. It was around ten O'clock at night, and it was time for the four women to leave. Putting on her coat, Nat replied, "I can do breakfast tomorrow. My expose isn't due for a week actually, so if any of you wanted to meet up on any day, I'm free." Blair enthusiastically added, "So am I. I have the whole week off. And I'd like to do breakfast tomorrow." Tootie chimed in and said, "I can do breakfast tomorrow!" Mrs. Garrett looked at Jo and tilted her head, asking, "What about you Jo?" The tough woman placed her leather jacket on and shrugged, replying, "I got nothin'n to do."

The old woman rolled her eyes and grinned at her. The girls all exchanged final goodbyes with their former mentor and finally exited the house, where they exchanged goodbyes with each other. 

"Toot, don't forget; I want a front row seat for that play," exclaimed Natalie as she got into her car. Tootie smiled proudly and retorted playfully, "Just as long as you bring flowers!" The reporter shook her head and grinned at her dramatic friend. Blair was getting into her car, but stopped when she saw Jo mounting her motorcycle. She got out and walked over to her friend, asking, "Hey Jo?"

The brunette turned her head to her and replied, "Yeah?"

"I was wondering, would you like to hang out sometime this week? You know, one on one," the blond asked kindly.

Jo tilted her head and smirked, replying with a question, "Askin'n me on a date blondie?" The heiress blushed deeply as her breath was caught in her throat. She stared into the bright green eyes of the taller woman as she uttered, "N-No..I just thought we'd h-hang out." Jo's smirk widen as she gazed at the other woman. Blair saw a flicker of flirtation in her friend's eyes, which made her feel even more confused and dumbfounded. Jo took the blond's hand and held it up, replying, "Ok Blair, whatever you say." She ended her sentence with a light kiss on the heiress's hand, and then she let it go before winking at her in a flirtatious manner. Finally, the brunette started the engine of her bike and sped off, thundering down the street and disappearing.

Blair was left standing there, speechless. " _Did she...Did she just flirt with me? Or am I just crazy? What the hell just happened,"_ were the only thoughts that came to Blair's mind. She shook her head wildly and got into her car, and tried to clear her mind as she drove home.

The whole time, Edna had been watching from the window. A smirk in the corner of her mouth grew as she muttered to herself, "Hmm, it took them long enough."

 


	2. Then and Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, the girls spend the day together. Blair is given an opportunity to glimpse at Jo in a different light, and is pleased by what she sees, or at least the half she can see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the way chapter 1 turned out, so I'm hoping to repeat it with this one. Please enjoy!

October 2nd, 2002-Inside a little café 

 

Natalie, Tootie, Jo and Mrs. Garrett sat at a booth at a small café and skimmed the menus in their hands to find appealing food. They were waiting for Blair to arrive, though they couldn't help but feel the pangs of hunger hitting their stomachs. Mrs. Garrett noticed Jo squinting her eyes at the menu, then commented, "Having trouble dear?" The gruff woman made a tsk noise and replied, "No, the words are just too small." When she looked over at the old lady, she saw an eyebrow rise, indicating that she didn't buy it.

 

Edna then reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of glasses that were attached to a chain, and as she placed them on her nose, she retorted, "I still wear mine. No shame in it." The Bronx native rolled her eyes and pulled out a small case from her jeans' pocket. She opened it up and placed a pair of square glasses over her eyes. She looked like a nerd, and she knew it. Her former mentor simply smiled at her before returning her attention to the menu. Jo suddenly heard giggling from her two best friends, and with a turn of her head she shot a warning glare at them.

 

They tried to stifle their giggling once they saw Blair enter the picture. She looked frazzled and slightly irritated as she sat down. "I'm so sorry. The traffic was impossible," explained the young blond in an apologetic tone. She then continued, "Also, I just found out that my assistant quit today! He claimed the work was 'too much' for him to handle."

 

Jo, not looking up from her menu, commented plainly, "Tis a shame the princess is left without a servant." Letting out a groan, Blair started with, "Jo," but stopped when she saw the ruffian wearing spectacles. She stared at her for a moment, not being able to think of a good comeback. Finally, she replied, "Jo, you look cute in those glasses." The brunette looked up at her friend and stared back at her, feeling her cheeks turn red. Everyone looked at them with surprise, but before anything could be said, the server came and asked if they were ready.

 

Once food was ordered, Jo and Natalie excused themselves, leaving the other three women to sit and wait. Tootie crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the blond intensely. Blair shifted uncomfortably and inquired, "Something wrong?" The actress shook her head slowly and replied, "You are not subtle, at all." Her friend fluffed her hair nonchalantly and plainly said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

 

Mrs. Garrett interjected, "Blair, you know I'm not the type to put my nose in where it doesn't belong, but I've noticed that you and Jo have been extra friendly with each other lately." The young woman sputtered slightly, "W-Well we are adults now, so why shouldn't we be friendly?" Her younger friend raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Oh really, you sure it's nothing else?"

 

Blair had a confused expression on her face and asked, "What are you saying?" The actress groaned in an annoyed tone and replied exasperatedly, "Blair, you have a crush on Jo! It's so obvious and you don't even see it!" Stunned, the heiress moved her mouth about, trying to combat the accusation. The old mentor then intervened, "Dear, there's nothing wrong with that. Why not admit it?" Blair snorted and replied, "She's not my type..." Both the old woman and the actress glanced at each other, annoyed at the rich woman's stubbornness. Before any more words could be exchanged, the biker and reporter returned to the table.

 

After an enjoyable breakfast, the group decided to go for a nice walk through town. Unfortunately, Edna mentioned feeling a little tired and pardoned herself, adding that the girls could still go. They obliged with the promise that they'd come back to her shop to spend the evening with her. The girls walked along a street that was dotted with various shops that served different purposes. They all chatted about various subjects, some that included current events, interesting movies, and embarrassing situations.

 

When Jo and Natalie stopped to look at a particularly interesting window display, Tootie nudged Blair, trying to get her attention. When the blond asked, "what," the actress hastily replied, "You and Jo should go hang out for a little while. I'll keep Nat busy."

 

The heiress glared at her friend and quietly grumbled, "Tootie…" Her friend shook her head and replied, "Blair, just do it. When do you think you'll get around to asking her out? Just take the opportunity!" Blair rolled her eyes and huffed. Why was Tootie pushing this? Blair made it clear that she wasn't interested, at least in her mind she did.

 

Blair wasn't given a chance to protest when her friend quickly grabbed Natalie and asked her to explore the shop with her. She scuttled the confused reporter into the store, leaving Jo in Blair's company. The young woman felt a little lost and put on the spot. She glanced over at her tomboy friend and figured it was time to defuse the awkwardness.

 

Blair took a deep breath and asked, "Jo...While they're looking at stuff in there, you wanna go to one of the little boutiques down the street and check it out?" Her friend, stuffing her hands in her pockets, shrugged and nodded.

 

"Sure, whatever," she replied as she joined Blair's side. The two walked down the street in close proximity of each other. Blair decided to start with small talk, "So, how does it feel to have the gang back together?" The brunette smirked thoughtfully and replied, "Feels good, to be honest. I've missed ya guys." Her blond friend smiled and replied, "Aw, that's really sweet." She giggled as Jo gave her a half grin and a shrug. They continued their pleasant small talk.

 

Blair was pleasantly surprised as they talked; Jo seemed to have softened over the past five years. She still had her quips and retorts, of course, but there was this calmer vibe coming off of her. The socialite was starting to have trouble seeing the young ruffian she had grown use to seeing. Looking at her now, she saw a young, independent woman with a gentle soul. She was taken out of her cloudy thoughts when she felt her left arm being picked up and tucked under the brunette's. Blair couldn't help but blush at the gesture. Jo held her arm in a gentlemanly fashion, and it made the heiress feel like she would melt from sheer flattery and joy.

 

They entered one of the boutiques and looked around idly. Blair inspected the colorful dresses, skirts, and shoes that were on display. Jo slowly followed her around, glancing at the merchandise. Her disinterest was clear as day, but she didn't grumble about it, at least not verbally. She spoke to Blair in a nonchalant manner, asking, "Seein'n anyone Blair?"

 

The socialite took her attention off of a pair of ocean-colored shoes and stared at her, feeling rather stunned by the forwardness of the question. She cleared her throat and replied calmly, "Well, no. Not right now. Why do you ask?" The tomboy stepped closer to her and stood still. They were between a rack of clothes and shelves at the back of the store, with only two other souls wandering around. Jo gave her a soft grin and spoke in a quiet tone, "Well, 'cuz I know the reason why we're walkin'n around alone is because ya wanna ask me out."

 

Blair felt her cheeks flush with warmth. She really didn't know how to respond to Jo's statement, and with the burly woman standing so close to her, she started to feel small all of a sudden. The biker was no giant, but she was certainly a foot or two taller than her wealthy friend. Blair couldn't remember her being that tall. It was possible that her broad shoulders simply made her look bigger.

 

"Blair," Jo commented to get her friend's attention. The heiress shook her head and blinked a few times, then finally gave her a response, "Uh...Well...Yeah...I-I..." She couldn't stop stuttering; her nerves were getting to her. The gruff woman rolled her eyes slightly and put two firm, gentle hands on her friend's shoulders and spoke, "Take a deep breath and clear your head."

 

She did as she was instructed, taking a few moments to think. Then, she answered in a more coherent manner, "Yes, I wanna ask you out, it's just...I feel a little weird about it..."

 

"Why," asked Jo, raising an eyebrow before she continued, "can't be because we're girls. We already crossed that bridge."

 

She was right; it wasn't that at all. In their early days of Langley, the two friends came out to each other, but continued to play the "boy crazy" game to keep others from knowing. Toward the end of their college days, however, the charade became too much to bare. Jo came out first, followed by Blair. Natalie, Tootie and Mrs. Garrett were convinced that all the years of fighting and hollering were about sexual tension and passion. They expected the duo to become a couple...And were surprised when they didn't. No one knew why, but the duo seemed disinterested in romancing each other. It was possible that their years as friend-enemies simply made them not see each other in that light.

 

Blair's eyes darted about as she tried to come up with a good reason for Jo. She didn't want to come off as condescending, mean or any of the things she knew would upset her. She answered slowly, "It's just that, well, you're my best friend, and it feels weird to ask my best friend out. I've spent so many years fighting with you that I'd be afraid that it wouldn't work out..." She anticipated her friend to react negatively to the response. She was partially right, as she saw Jo make a sneer. However, the woman's face softened as she replied, "Blair, we ain't kids anymore. Don't you think we could get through that as adults? I mean, I'm willin'n to try."

 

The blond's eyebrows shot up, and a half grin crossed her face as she spoke, "You really wanna go out with me, don't you?" The brunette grinned shyly, essentially giving her the answer. Both women coyly looked away from each other with doofy smiles on their faces. They suddenly felt like school girls who were asked to confess who their crushes were. Blair tossed her head to the left, flipping her hair playfully.

 

She broke the silence, "Well then, that settles it. We'll go out on a date. Does tomorrow night sound good?" The brunette hummed as she thought, then answered, "Sure, that sounds good." Blair wanted to jump up and down with excitement, but kept her composure and smiled happily at her friend. Jo politely took her hand and asked, "Will seven-thirty be good?" When the heiress nodded, the tomboy grinned and gave her hand a quick, light kiss before leaving her side. 

 

"God, she's really trying to woo me, isn't she," thought Blair. She saddled up close to her friend and thought about what had just taken place. She just asked Jo Polniaczek, who years ago was the thorn to her side, a woman she considered to be a barbarian, accepted her proposal for a date. She wondered if she had entered into another world, one where she and Jo weren't the squabbling teenage girls they use to be. Then, she realized she wasn't in another world; she was simply living in the present. Five years had made them into competent adults.

 

 

Soon she and Jo found their friends and continued their wanderings before evening came. Finally, around five O'clock they went back to Mrs. Garrett's home. They spent the rest of the night drinking, eating and enjoying themselves as they excitedly talked about tomorrow's activities. Much to Edna's surprise, (and secret relief) Blair coyly hinted to her that she and Jo would be going off on a date, while Nat and Tootie discussed a fun night on the town together.

 

The girls didn't realize they were leaving the poor old woman out of their plans, but she didn't mind. Mrs. Garrett was just happy to see the girls back together. 


	3. Unexpected Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the third day of the reunion, the girls split up into two groups. Jo takes Blair on a date that leads to some unexpected revelations, while Tootie and Natalie take a stroll around a park and learn more about each other's love lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick notes:  
> -I admit, I'm having a little trouble with this story because I didn't really plan ahead like I should've. Normally I do when I write.  
> -More references to the reunion movie
> 
> Criticism, suggestions and other comments are welcomed. Please keep it all civil.

October 3rd, 2002

 

Blair slowly spun around in her chair, glancing up at the clock every few minutes. At seven-thirty, her work day would end and her date night would begin. She made a sideways squint at the stack of paperwork sitting on the desk. She glared at it with malic; knowing at some point she'd have to do it. The heiress had been president of the Warner company for only two years, and despite her success, she had grown to dislike it. She didn't know why; maybe it was the deals she had to make with shrew businessmen, or maybe it was the pressure that weighed on her shoulders everyday. God only knows. All she knew that ever since the company started making plans for a new hotel enterprise project, she had grown more and more resentful for accepting her promotion. She could just walk away, but that seemed too hard. She had made her family so proud with her progress.

Suddenly, she heard a soft knocking on the door. She turned and saw her father, David Warner, standing there. He asked politely, "Closing up for the day soon, dear?" Blair gave him a small grin and replied, "Yeah, just finishing stuff up." She quickly glanced up at the clock and saw it said seven twenty-three. Good, only a few more minutes to go.

Sensing his daughter was excited about something, David asked with a grin, "And what are you excited about?" His successor coyly tapped her fingers on the desk and answered, "Well, if you must know, I'm meeting up with Jo for dinner." The old gentleman smiled softly and spoke, "That's great. Jo was always a nice girl. You two having another reunion night?" He noticed his daughter's shy smirk, causing him to cock an eyebrow. As the gears grinded in his head, he realized what the smirk meant. 

He cleared his throat and stated, "Oh I see...It's a date?" 

The Warners weren't sure how they truly felt about their the heiress's preferences, but given the many acquaintances they've made over the years that had scandalous skeletons in the closet, they came to the conclusion that Blair's social life was not a threat. Monica was very accepting of Blair's sexuality, even if she didn't fully understand it. Meg, Bailey and Geri were Blair's biggest champions and defended her the most. David was rather quiet about his feelings, though he made sure not to allude anything to his daughter. (In fear of retaliation)

Mr. Warner nodded and commented, "Well, alright. I hope you two have fun." He smiled at her and continued, "I'm gonna head home now dear. You have a good time, ok?" She nodded and replied, "I will Daddy, thank you. See you around." The father and daughter exchanged goodbyes before he left, leaving her alone with her work.

She looked at the time and saw it was just a few minutes away from seven-thirty. She very quickly got up and bolted out of her  modern, sleek office and headed toward the elevator, which was located on the other side of the large, fifth floor office space. She impatiently waited as the elevator made it's slow descend down to the main floor.

She couldn't believe how excited she felt about this date. For whatever reason it felt more important and interesting than her past dates. Maybe it was because of the extra bonus of it being her best friend. Behind her condescending façade, Blair always felt that Jo was the smooth, charming partner when it came to dating. That was evident when the brunette started dating women. Sometimes the two friends double dated, and the blond was obliged to witness the tomboy's wooing, charming the pants off of any girl who was lucky.

While on her way to her limousine, (which took her from work to home) she wondered if Jo would put the moves on her. A part of her hoped she would, as it would be exhilarating and amusing, but the other part of her hoped she wouldn't. A part of her wanted to see how Jo would act while on a date with her best friend. Whatever would happen, she wanted it to be fun.

At seven-thirty, Blair was alerted by the doorman that a guest was waiting for her on the second floor of her penthouse. She took one last look in the mirror to make sure she was proper. She was more than proper; she was exquisite. She wore a lovely white dress with a light turquoise jacket over it, complete with snappy white high heels.  She checked her make-up, grabbed her purse and trotted over to her personal elevator and abandoned the living quarters of her penthouse. Once she was on the bottom floor, the elevator doors opened and revealed Jo Polniaczek.

The young woman's hands were in her pockets, and her stance was casual. She wore a fine dark suit with a light-blue shirt underneath. Blair thought to herself, _"Wow, that's quite fancy."_  But then, she noticed the silky red tie around the young lady's neck. _"Oh wow...That's, actually really sexy,"_ she thought to herself. The tomboy's eyes ran up and down her friend's body, then she commented, "Damn Blair, you look great." 

Blair blushed and smiled brightly at the compliment. She said, "Thank you Jo. You look splendid yourself!" The biker broke into a coy smile. She put her arm out, coaxing the blond into taking it, and then led her out of the penthouse. They walked outside and found a steel-colored Buick sitting and waiting for them. Jo opened the door to the passenger seat and waited for her date to get comfortable. She then got into the car on the other side and started the engine.

 

They drove leisurely for a while before reaching a little elegant restaurant. It didn't take too long before they were seated. They were led to a nice, secluded booth at the back of the restaurant, where the lamps above shined dimly, creating an intimate atmosphere. The couple ordered wine and looked at their menus to see what food was available.  Jo knew what she wanted right away; steak, potatoes and green beans. Blair had trouble deciding at first, but eventually settled on teriyaki chicken with asparagus and carrots. After ordering, Jo leaned forward on the table and gazed into her friend's soulful brown eyes. Blair blushed and pursed her lips nervously.

 _"Oh God, I know that look,"_ Blair thought to herself, _"she's got that look in her eyes...Oh shit, she's gonna hit on me."_

"Blair, you remember the last time we went out on a date," Jo asked, raising her eyebrows in an alluring manner. Her date took a sip of her wine and replied, "I believe I do, though if I remember correctly, we weren't dating each other. We were with two different people." The gruff woman smirked and let out a slight snort, remembering how poorly that date went. 

She remarked, "Heh, yeah, two women who ended up bailing out on us cuz they couldn't stop making goo-goo eyes at each other. They wouldn't stop flirtin'n!" The blond giggled and nodded. "They ran off and left us with the check! Boy were you mad." Both women laughed for a little while until their food came. Little conversation was made during the meal, mainly because they were too busy enjoying their food.

After Jo finished her entire plate, she carefully traced her finger along the outer rim of her glass while her mind slipped away. Blair looked up and saw a look of regret on the other woman's face and asked softly, "Are you ok?" The brunette looked up and spoke, "Oh, nothin'n. I'm just thinkin'n 'bout that date. I was so angry that those two ran off, and all I kept thinkin'n about was..." She paused, "I wish I had taken you out instead."

Blair was surprised. She didn't expect her best friend to admit that. She blinked a few times and asked, "Why's that?" Jo's cheeks turned red, and she couldn't help but chew on her bottom lip. She replied shyly, "Well...I had a small crush on you."

"What," Blair squawked. Her eyes peered into the timid green ones, trying to find answers. She then asked, "How long did that go on?" She expected Jo to say "for a short while," or something, but the answer she got shocked her.

Jo's body tensed up as she took a deep breath. She replied nervously, "Ever since we were roommates at Eastland."

The blond's mouth fell open, jolted by the explanation. Jo desperately wanted to disappear into the booth, feeling awkwardness engulf her mind and body. Blair's eyes narrowed as she asked, "So for the seven years we've known each other, you had a crush on me, and you didn't act on it?" Jo sputtered in confusion, finding her friend's response odd. "So," she stated, "it was a long time ago Blair, why does it matter?"

Blair glared at her and got up. She couldn't believe it; Jo Polniaczek had a crush on _Blair Warner_...And she _didn't_ ask her out? All that time together when they were dating random men and women? She was insulted. The heiress huffed and got up to walk outside. The brunette growled and followed her, greatly irritated by how things have turned. 

"Blair, what the fuck's wrong with you? You're all offended? Really," Jo angrily questioned as she tailed the blond. Blair calmly replied, "Don't use that kind of language with me Jo." The biker caught up to her and quickly grabbed her by the arm, spun her around and held her firmly in her grasp so she could face her. She gruffly commanded, "Hold it right there. Why are you all pissed off?"

Blair pouted and looked away, trying to keep her cool. Despite being angry, she had to admit that Jo being so commanding and dominant in this situation was quite attractive. She sighed and admitted, "I'm upset because...I had always hoped you'd ask me out, but figured you didn't because you didn't like me that way..." The grumpy woman's anger changed to surprise. She asked, "Wait, why were you hopin'n I'd ask you out?"

"Because...I had a crush on you," Blair replied bashfully, looking up at the brunette. Jo allowed the revelation to sink in for a moment before grinning. She puffed out her chest proudly and placed her hands in her pockets, smugly stating, "Heh, Blair Warner; heir to the Warner fortune, queen of classiness! The princess herself," she slowly leaned into Blair's personal space, keeping her face just inches away, "had a crush on the big bad girl from the Bronx."

The heiress's face was a deep red color. Her mouth turned into a slit and her arms crossed over each other as full-blown embarrassment took over. She muttered in frustration, "Still do..." Jo snickered. She found Blair's frustration endearing and adorable. The blond buried her face into the biker's shoulder and grunted softly, "Turn blue, Polniaczek."

The brunette smiled and rested her hand on Blair's head, gently stroking her hair. She then moved her hand to the woman's face and pulled it up to hers. The two stared at each other for a long while in silence. Blair's hard expression softened as she gazed into the bright, forest green eyes. She felt the ruffian caress her cheek, and it made her heart skip around excitedly. Her body swelled with anticipation and nervousness when Jo placed a soft kiss on her forehead. _"Oh Jo please kiss me pleeeaasseee! I'll die if you don't! Please please please kiss m-"_

The gods seemed to bless the rich woman, because the next thing she knew, she was kissing the former delinquent. Jo's lips were full, soft, and sweet. Blair melted into her arms and moaned quietly from the sheer joy she was feeling. She was overwhelmed with emotion; years of fighting, bickering and longing had led to this unexpected moment. She wanted nothing more than for this to last forever, but the need to breathe forced her to break the kiss. She took a breath and examined her friend's expression, which contained a gleeful, bright smile.

"Hot damn Jo," Blair muttered, still taken aback by the memorizing kiss. Her date pressed her forehead against hers and said, "I better pay the bill before we go." The blond eyed her and asked absentmindedly, "Go where?" The biker chuckled and retorted, "To continue our date, goofus. You go back to the car, and I'll pay the bill." Blair didn't have much time to argue as the allusive grump disappeared from her side and re-entered the restaurant.

She shook her head wildly to bring herself back to reality. As she entered the car, she let out an unladylike, snorty laugh, and she was thankful that Jo wasn't there to hear it. God forbid she heard it, otherwise she'd tease her about it for the rest of the evening.

 

 

The air was crisp with the autumn breeze. Tootie and Natalie were bundled up in their jackets as they walked along the sidewalk. The warmth of their giggles and laughter kept their faces from feeling chilled.

"And do you remember that time you hooked Blair and Jo up with dates you found online," asked Tootie when her giggles had subsided. Her friend laughed and replied, "Oh yeah. God was that a mistake." They laughed some more, linking arms together.

Natalie smiled; she never realized how much she missed Tootie's company until now. She looked at her little friend's face and studied it for a moment. Wow, she was gorgeous. The once gossipy child of the group had grown into a lovely woman. Nat felt her heart flutter slightly, though she didn't understand why it did. The actress broke the silence, "Did I tell you that Jeff and I got back together?"

"Again," asked Natalie, caught off guard by the sudden conversation. She furrowed her brow at the thought of Jeff. The young man Tootie had dated since her teen years had become her on again-off again boyfriend. He'd resume their courtship whenever he needed something from her. The reporter greatly disliked this, as she felt it was cheating Tootie out of a real, genuine relationship with a proper partner. She wanted her friend to be with someone who'd treat her fairly, kindly and respectively, and she felt like Jeff was just holding her back.

The writer was taken out of her thoughts when she heard her friend speak again, "Yeah, he's gonna be in town for a few months for a job offering. It's gonna be good!" She smiled enthusiastically as she thought about him. Natalie secretly rolled her eyes. The two found a bench and sat down to take a break from walking. The actress snuggled up close to her big friend and asked, "Say Nat, mind if I ask you something?"

The brown-haired woman raised an eyebrow apprehensively and retorted, "As long as it's not at my expense." Tootie shook her head and asked her question, "Well, I was thinking about how we've been talking about our relationships, and I don't think I asked you what you've been up to," a little smirk appeared, "are you dating anyone?" 

Natalie's body bristled at the question. She knew this question would come up at some point, but nevertheless it made her nervous. She mumbled something to herself, then cleared her throat and began, "Um...Well, I've been in a lot of relationships, but uh, heh, you probably already know that." She let out a nervous chuckle as Tootie cheekily nudged her. 

"Of course I do. You've dated nine or ten guys in the past five years, and you've told me all about them," Tootie grinned and winked at her best friend, "but what about Germany? Did you meet anyone while you were there last year?" The reporter's smirk faltered as she tapped her fingers together in a timid manner. She leaned forward and blew out a breath, commenting, "Uh, well I did meet someone over there."

"I knew it," the actress exclaimed, snapping her fingers approvingly. She leaned in closer and asked, "Who was he? What was he like?" When the answer didn't come right away, she noticed how tense her friend looked, and it made her concern. She placed her hand on her shoulder lightly and asked, "Nat, what's wrong?" The writer ran her hand through her scruffy hair and responded quietly, "I'm kinda nervous to say..." She looked into her dear friend's soft black eyes before taking a deep breath. She nodded and began her explanation.

"Well, while I was writing my paper on Jewish escapees in Germany, I thought I'd get a lot of good info by interviewing people in this particular village I stopped in. When I got there, I didn't have a place to stay, so I met this farmer girl who offered to let me stay for the night at her farm, in exchange helping her get her truck out of mud. Well, we got to her farm and we got to talking. Turns out she was a descendant of a man who had helped Jews escape. I ended up staying their longer than I meant to."

Tootie regarded her friend as she was curious as to where this was going. She listened carefully as Natalie continued.

"We both got along really well...Maybe a little too well. I started noticing how cute she was, and she said she thought I was really pretty, and we just..." she trailed off and placed her head into her hands. She was too embarrassed to finish. Tootie impatiently demanded, "Nat, what happened?" The reporter grunted a frustrated breath and bluntly replied, "We started a relationship together. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it happened."

Her best friend gasped, and it made the writer grimace. She looked away and feared what the next response would be. Tootie processed the information, then asked, "Natalie, why didn't you tell me about that before?" The chestnut-haired girl looked down and uttered, "I felt ashamed." The black-haired girl shook her head and replied, "That's so silly! Nat, I'm an actress and I know tons of gay people. Hell Blair and Jo are gay! Why should you feel ashamed? You met a really cute girl and you dated her, what's wrong with that?"

"Because it feels hypocritical," Natalie explained, "I spent my whole life lusting over boys and shit, and all of a sudden this cute girl comes along and makes my head snap back? What does that mean? Does that make me gay? Does it make me bi? What the hell does it mean?" She was frazzled at this point. She buried her face into her hands again and let out a little whimper.

Tootie wrapped her arms around her and rubbed soothing circles into her back, speaking softly, "Oh Natalie, it's not hypocritical. Look, your sexuality's whatever you want it to be. You just go with what attracts you. You can like guys, or girls, or both! It's who you are as a person that's more important. Gay or not, your preference doesn't dictate who you are," she smiled brightly, "you're Natalie Green! You're smart, you're funny, and you're the best damn reporter I've ever known!"

Her friend looked up at her with a small grin and asked, "You mean that?" She nodded definitely and patted her shoulder, replying, "Of course I do." Nat's grin grew wider as she hugged Tootie. She really appreciated her dear friend's words, and she couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She said, "Thanks Tootie." The actress planted a quick kiss on her best friend's cheek and replied, "No problem Nat," she pushed her back a little and pointed a finger at her, "now, I want you to tell me all about this girl! I want details!"

The reporter chuckled and got comfortable. She gushed on to Tootie all about her fling in Germany, and how it was one of the nicest relationships she'd had in years. Tootie listened intently, smiling and getting excited as she heard all of the details. Eventually they headed back to Tootie's apartment, where Natalie dropped her off.

"Thanks for a great evening Nat," Tootie smiled at her cheerfully and hugged her. Natalie hugged back and nodded, "You're welcome." She stepped away for a moment, hesitated, then stepped back and wrapped her friend up in a tight embrace, whispering earnestly, "Thank you, Dorothy." The actress was surprised to hear her real name be uttered by her best friend. Most of her friends called her by her nickname, so to hear it spoken so softly and sweetly, it made something deep within her stir. She closed her eyes as she put her arms around Natalie and relaxed. They stood their for a while, hugging each other. The writer finally became aware of herself and slowly let go, keeping the space between her and Tootie slightly opened. 

She gave her a little smile and said, "Well, I guess I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow." Tootie nodded and replied, "Yeah. I'll see you at Mrs. G's place." The two friends exchanged awkward goodbyes and finally separated. Tootie closed her door and took a deep breath. She suddenly felt very confused and flustered by the intimate hug she had shared with her dearest friend. She rested her head against the door as she thought. She quickly lifted her head and said to herself, "Oh am I in trouuuble…"

Natalie, walking back to her car, rubbed her face in irritation and tried to rationalize what had happened. She buckled herself into her seat and looked at herself in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes widen as a revelation struck her like lightening.

"Oh shit..."


	4. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls spend one more day together for the reunion. At this point, things have been great; reminiscing about the past, talking about the future, and melting back into the mold they once fitted into as the four musketeers. However, an unexpected incident brings the girls back to reality. They are forced to acknowledge their professional and personal lives need attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally don't like this chapter. It's too dramatic and unrealistic for Jo. That's why I went back and rewrote it.  
> Quick notes:  
> -We finally get to figure out what Jo's doing  
> -Tootie gets her talk show  
> -Tad shows up  
> -Kelly the thiefing brat from season five shows up  
> -Dark themes are explored, such as murder, mutilation and suicide  
> -Took heavy inspiration from Nancy Mckeon's performance in The Devision. I just found the character of Jinny to be so similar to Jo.(You could almost argue that she is Jo, just with a different backstory and name)  
> Fun fact: Mckeon(Jo) couldn't be in the FOL reunion movie because she was working on The Devision at the time. The film references this by stating that Jo was off doing her police work.
> 
> I have no idea if this comes off as unrealistic or not. I apologize if it is.

October 4th, 2002-Edna's Edibles

The five women were gathered around the table, each staring intensely at their cards. Blair's eyes dashed here and there at each friend before landing on Mrs. Garrett. The old women peered over her glasses and slowly raised an eyebrow up at the heiress. She knew Blair was trying to determine what her strategy would be. Tootie glanced over at Jo, who paid no attention to her. Without moving her eyes, the brunette pushed her slipping glasses further up on her nose.

"Gin," uttered Natalie. Her victory was met with grumbles from the gang. Jo threw her cards down and took her glasses off, pensively placing one of the legs into her mouth. Blair blew out a frustrated breath and rested her face on her hand. Tootie looked at her and asked, "When did you get good at this game?" The reporter beamed a smile and replied, "A certain German birdy taught me." The actress gave her a smirk.

Jo rose from her seat and said, "I'm gettin'n a beer. Anyone want anythin'n?" Mrs. Garrett answered, "Oh wine would be good for me Jo." The biker turned to Blair for an answer. The blond smiled and replied, "I'll take wine as well." Jo smirked and kissed her on the cheek, then gave Edna a gentle pat on the shoulder. She disappeared into the kitchen after Tootie and Natalie shook their heads, dismissing her offer. The heiress watched her leave, then turned to see her three friends eyeing her.

"What," she asked innocently.

Tootie's impish grin grew as she stated, "Wow. Just one date and already you two are getting real close."

The blond scoffed and said, "Please, we've always been close." Edna let out a soft chuckle as she chimed in, "Yes, but you two are treading new territory now. I always figured there was more going on between you." Blair blushed and looked away.

"Last night was amazing, and I didn't expect it to end the way it did," she said softly, smiling.

Natalie shot an eyebrow up, questioning, "What does that mean?" Blair didn't answer, she simply smirked as her face and her neck turned bright red.

Tootie gasped and excitedly inquired, "You didn't...Did you?"

"Did what," Natalie was confused.

Edna's eyes widen as she stared at the blond.

Blair's grin grew as she whispered, "Yes, Jo and I spent the night together." Tootie squealed while Natalie's jaw dropped and Mrs. Garrett gasped. Blair giggled and blushed more.

She then stated, "We didn't mean for it to happen, but it just...Happened! And it was wonderful! Jo was... _wow_." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she remembered the passion from the previous night. Somehow Jo was both sweet and gentle while at the same time being dominating and commanding. The blond shuttered just thinking about it.

"Blair Warner," Tootie scolded in a cheeky tone, "you naughty, naughty girl!" Nat leaned in and asked, "Was it weird to see her naked though?"

The blond nodded and answered, "At first it was...but then I couldn't help but admire that big, buff body of hers...And those abs!" Her voice had a hint of desire in it. She bit her lip and rolled her eyes before letting out a whistle. Then she continued, "Did you know that she has tattoos now?"

"Tattoos," Edna repeated with a shocked look on her face. She had been quiet the whole time due to feeling awkward and slightly uncomfortable hearing about this. They were _her girls_ after all. 

Blair nodded and said, "Yep. She's got four on her upper left arm, six trailing down her side and her abs, and three on her upper thigh. I admit, I was a little unnerved by it, but...They were pretty cool and sexy."

The three women giggled while the older woman muttered "goodness," under her breath. Their enthusiasm quieted down when they saw Jo return. She had a defeated, disturbed look on her face, like she received the worse news in the world. Her friends took note and became concerned. Mrs. Garrett got up and asked, "Jo, what's wrong?"

"She's dead," she uttered.

The brunette stood there, feeling numb. The old woman took her over to the table and sat her down, inquiring, "Who is?" Jo quietly answered, "Mindy, a victim in a case I've been workin'n on for the past couple of months...She didn't make it."

The four other women looked at each other, unsure as to how to respond. This was the first time that the girls were hearing about a case Jo was working on. She never bothered informing them on her cases, even after they'd plea for curiosity sake.

Jo rested her face into her hands. She felt defeated and completely drained of energy and soul. Blair pressed a attentive hand on her shoulder and said, "Joey, please tell us what happened."

After much convincing, Jo finally lamented about the case. A businessman had been accused of murdering and mutilating the bodies of six women. The only real witness in the case was a young seventeen year old named Mindy Radcliff, who had been hospitalized after a passerby found her brutally beaten and stabbed by the side of a road. The police believed she was possibly a survivor from the suspected serial killer, however she was unable to speak due to being in a coma. Jo had just learned from her partner that she had died. No witness meant no case against the businessman. It also meant they had to start from scratch again, and as Jo put it, it meant there'd be more bodies in the possible future. 

By the time she had finished, Jo was in tears, having flashbacks to the gory scenes she had to see at the crime scenes. Her friends were deeply disturbed, but they became more disturbed when Jo continued to talk. She rambled on about life and death, and whether any of it had meaning. None of them got a chance to say anything; they simply listened to her share her dark thoughts. Blair studied Jo carefully; her dark expression showcased a sense of dread and pain. The harsh reality of human beings being cruel to one another had hit Jo pretty hard this time. Even the strongest, bravest people in the world had their limits as to how much misery and abysmal situations they could take. Jo finally finished her ramble, and when she did, she looked very depressed.

She murmured, "It never ends...Just never fuckin'n ends." She wiped her tears and heaved a shaky breath. Her friends gathered around her and comforted as best as they could.

 

Later in the evening, Blair, Tootie, Natalie and Mrs. Garrett sat quietly in the living room. Jo was upstairs in the old bedroom sleeping. Her emotional state had zapped her of her energy and had given her a powerful migrane, so Edna had insisted she go lay down. Unintentionally, she slept for a long time. Blair had kindly asked the old woman if she could stay for the night, just to keep an eye on Jo. Mrs. Garrett, of course, agreed and said she was welcomed to.

"I've never seen her look haunted like that before," Tootie commented softly. Her face scrunched up into a pained expression, and then asked, "God O' Mighty, what has that poor woman seen?" Natalie shook her head, replying, "I have no idea..." 

"I'm really worried about her," Blair stated shakily, "I mean, she's been dealing with this for months without talking about it. That had to be terrible! I can't imagine how she kept this stuff to herself. Why did she think she couldn't talk to us about this stuff?"

"Because that's how Jo is," interjected Mrs. Garrett. The three girls turned to her and waited for an explanation, "From the first day I met Jo, I could see that she was a sensitive person. It's fine for her to prance around and hold herself as the big tough girl, but I've seen the tears enough to know better. Jo was never good at dealing with her emotions, and she still isn't. I suppose she felt that we wouldn't be able to handle it, or she was afraid of scaring us, or having us worry about her. But I think it damned her more than anything."

Natalie sighed and replied, "It takes a special kind of person to do the job she has." 

"But what if she's not that kind of person? Jo shouldn't keep this stuff to herself," Tootie started with conviction, "You heard her go on and on about life and death; that really frightened me! What if-" her voice got scratchier as a dark thought crossed her mind, "what if it gets worse? What if it pushes her over the edge? I've heard stories of cops having that one case that makes them go crazy, or...or worse! I mean, we only know about one case. We don't know what else she's seen or dealt with!"

Natalie and Blair put their arms around the actress as she started to tear up. The young woman couldn't help but get emotional over the situation. Mrs. Garrett reached over and touched Tootie's hand, trying to reassure her, "I don't think it's gone that far my dear, but...I understand your fear."

The four women fell into silence. They all thought about their biker friend and worried about her well being. None of them knew what would happen next.

 

November 3rd, 2002-Warner Textiles Company Building

Blair was exasperated; she was going over files for the hotel project again. It had taken up much of her time, and it was getting on her nerves.

Her relationship with Jo had become more serious(as they were now referring to each other as girlfriends), but she couldn't keep her eye on her as much as she'd like. Jo's case had a new lead after they found other witnesses who reported strange activities from the businessman. The detective and her team were convinced that they had him nailed. The brunette was very quiet on the subject matter, despite her friends' efforts to get her to talk about it. Blair asked Tootie and Natalie to look out for her when they could. This was hard on them as well though, as they both had taken career shifts. Nat had been promoted to a producer's position for CNN, and with her new power, she was able to get Tootie the talk show she had been planning. The actress decided to take a break from acting for a while and do something completely different. Things seemed to be going alright for the four musketeers.

The heiress heard a soft knock on the door. She looked up and saw Tad, her vice president and partner in the hotel project. He was a good man, and a smart one at that. He and Blair had become close since she took her position as president.

He smiled at her and asked, "May I come in?" 

"Oh, of course Tad, come in," Blair replied warmly. The gentleman sat down and crossed his legs as he asked, "How's the filing going?"

Blair took her new oval-shaped glasses off threw her arms up in the air, complaining, "Confusing. I barely understand what the hell these numbers mean! And trying to feed them into the computer is a pain in the ass." She sighed and rubbed her temples. Tad gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I figured that's what was happening. Trust me, you're not the only one. I don't get this stuff either. That's why I was talking to some of the board members about an idea I had. I think it would be a great idea to bring in an expert who could help us with the project. I met this guy named Roger Wilton who owns a couple of hotels here in the city! I checked his background and he's got a really good record of successful hotel projects. Maybe he can lend a helping hand!"

A big smile grew on the blond's face as she said, "That's a great idea Tad! We certainly could use a help on this. Do you think you can set up a meeting with him at some point this week?" The brown-haired man nodded and replied, "I'm sure I can. I'll get on it right away." She nodded and added, "Great! Maybe we can finally get this thing off the gro-"

The phone cut her off. She picked it up and answered it while Tad prepared to leave. He paused when he heard his boss reply to her secretary, "Kelly who? Oh, Kelly Affinado? Uh, sure put her through." Tad sat back down, finding himself becoming curious as it was clear Blair was surprised by who wanted to talk to her. He couldn't help but be a nosy person.

While Blair waited, she wondered why on earth Kelly had come out of the blue to talk to her. She hadn't seen or spoken to the annoying little imp in many years, and the only thing she knew about her these days was that, surprisingly, she had become Jo's partner on the force. She wasn't super surprised by that though, as for years she suspected the younger woman had a crush on Jo. According to the brunette, the once thieving scam artist ran into her while they were at the police academy, and of course, annoyed the hell out of her. Once they were on the force though, they actually became good friends.

Finally, the blond reached the officer and said, "Hello, Kelly?"

"Hi Blair," greeted Kelly, though the tone in her voice sounded troubled, "I'm sorry to bother you, but this is really urgent. It's about Jo."

Tad became concerned as he watched his friend. Her eyes widen as she gasped when the officer told her the disturbing news. She placed her hand over her mouth, listening further, before uttering, "No..." There was a look of panic in her face, and her hands started to shake slightly. He reached over and held one of them, and she squeezed his as she looked at him in anguish.

She bit her lip and asked, "Kelly, I-I don't understand. What the hell happened?"

Kelly took a deep breath and replied, "We brought the suspect in for questioning last night. He was a nervous wreck, and Jo got him to confess; he said that while he's not the killer, he knew who was. So today, we go to question him further, only to find," she paused and sighed, placing her hand over her face, "the bastard hung himself in his cell. He scribbled something in a note, but we haven't gotten a chance to properly look at it. The whole thing was awful..."

Kelly paused when she heard another gasp from the heiress. She ran her hand through her short black hair and continued, "Jo didn't say anything the whole time. I started gettin' kinda worried 'bout her. The coroner came, took the body, and we took the note. When we got back to HQ, I sat at my desk and started to look at the note, then I saw Jo get up and walk out without sayin'n anything. A few minutes later Spencer comes in and says Jo's about to jump off the roof. I ran up the stairs and found her standin' there...It took me ten minutes to get her to come down. She kept tellin' me 'I'm sick of this, I'm sick of all of this.'"

Blair squeaked out a "Oh my God," as she started tearing up. She heard a slight sniffle from Kelly and asked, "I-Is she ok?"

"She's not hurt. We have her in the interrogation room with Cindy right now," she paused again to breath, then muttered, "I think Jo snapped, Blair. I don't know what's gonna happen now."

The conversation soon came to a close.

Blair had her head buried in her hand as she asked, "When can I see her?" Kelly replied, "Soon, I promise. I'll call you back when you can. The chief's sending someone in to check on her, and they'll be here in a few minutes."

Blair nodded woefully and listened to the officer some more before finally thanking her and saying goodbye. She hung up the phone and turned to Tad with tears in her eyes.

He asked with great concerned, "Blair, what happened?" She muttered, "Jo was going to jump off the roof..." Tad gasped and stared at her. He then got up and comforted her as she cried into his shoulder. He didn't care if this seemed inappropriate, as the woman clearly needed comfort.

 

Blair didn't get custody of Jo until later in the evening. She brought her to her penthouse, as recommended by the man who examined her. Jo said nothing to Blair the entire time, she was possibly afraid to. The heiress wanted to be angry and she wanted to scream about how Jo had put everyone through hell with all of this, but she concluded that it would do no good. In truth, there was nothing to really say.

The couple sat on opposite sides of the couch, staring intently at the ambers of the fireplace. They were both exhausted and upset. All that could be heard was the crackling of the fire as the flames danced around. 

"I'm really sorry," Jo said, almost in a whisper. Blair had to think for a second to figure out if she actually heard what she said, she turned to her girlfriend and asked, "What?"

The brunette took a deep, shaky breath and said, "I'm really sorry, for all of this. I don't know what happened." She looked at Blair with teary eyes as she added, " I Should've talked more. I kept it all bottled up...I was just so upset. This guy keeps slippin' through my fingers, and he just keeps on killing," she paused and added, "There's just so much blood...So much pain and anguish on those girls' faces...How can someone do that to another human being?"

She sheepishly scooted closer to her love, as if she was unsure if she'd push her away. Blair carefully pulled her into an embrace. Jo cried silently while Blair stroked her hair soothingly. She didn't know what to feel or think anymore. At this point, all she cared about was keeping the gruff woman close to her. 

 

Natalie was at Tootie's apartment, trying her best to comfort the actress. When Blair told them what had happened, it had left them both shaken. Growing up, they always saw Jo as the protector; the strong one. It never occurred to them that she was capable of crumbling, like all other human beings. They felt guilty for that attitude.

Tootie was tucked into Natalie's arms after shedding tears. She leaned her head on her friend's shoulder and stared at the coffee table in the middle of the room. She stated, "I don't understand anything anymore. What's happened to us?"

Her reporter friend sighed and lightly patted her head, replying, "Well, to put it bluntly, we all grew up and met the cold truth about reality, and that it sucks." 

"What's gonna happen now," asked Tootie.

"I don't know," Natalie shrugged, "I'm pretty sure Jo's gonna need therapy for this whole thing." Tootie sat up and commented, "I can't believe she'd try to do that...Leave us all behind."

The writer cupped her dear friend by the back of her head and explained in a stern, but caring voice, "Tootie, people don't do these things to hurt others, not usually. They just, I don't know, get wrapped up in their own sorrow and forget about what's around them. I know this case had been really rough for Jo, but I don't think that's the only reason this happened."

"Really," the actress asked earnestly. Her friend nodded and responded, "I think Jo's going through depression or something, and it's been going on longer than this case has." The young woman looked at her friend with confusion, not quite sure what she meant.

The reporter continued, "If you think about it, Jo's had a tough year. First her uncle Sal dies of a heart attack, then she finds out her ex-boyfriend Eddie was lost at sea, and then she had a whole slew of unsuccessful romantic relationships. Couple that with the fact that her job is insane, and then she gets this case where she can't catch the bad guy, no wonder she stopped talking to us regularly. I think she became really depressed from it all. Nothing but bad luck for her."

The actress shook her head sadly. It made sense what Natalie had said, and that's what upset her. Prior to the reunion, Jo had become less and less talkative to the gang, and they all assumed it was because she was busy. Tootie knew there was no way for them to know, but she still felt stupid. She teared up again, feeling overwhelmed. Her bigger friend held her again, rubbing her back and whispering softly, "It's ok."

The tears finally dried up as the two laid on the couch. Tootie was curled up on Nat's side, relaxed by her friend's gentle back rubs. The reporter's mind was on another planet as she stared up at the ceiling and grey curtains. Suddenly, they heard the phone ring, which startled them. Tootie quickly got up and rushed to the phone when she saw it was Blair. She answered it frantically, "Blair? What's wrong?"

"Tootie, it's ok, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to let you know that I got Jo home now, or, well I've had her for about an hour. Sorry, I forgot to call..." The rich woman was sitting up in bed in her silky pink nightgown. The lamp on the nightstand was set to a dim light, giving the room a secluded, peaceful look. Jo was in her striped pajamas, laying her head on Blair's stomach. She was deep in sleep and didn't take notice to her girlfriend's conversation at all.

The young woman let out a sigh of relief and muttered, "Ok, good. How's she holding up?" The actress cursed herself; she felt like the question was dumb. But her friend knew better and replied carefully, "Well, it's hard to tell exactly. She's definitely upset, but I don't know if that's because of the case or..." She trailed off, making what she was alluding to obvious. She then added, "I'm taking her to see a therapist tomorrow. This needs attention now."

Tootie was almost afraid to ask the question, but her curiosity got the best of her, "What about the case?"

The heiress nearly flinched. She now despised this case, feeling it was responsible for this heartache and drama. She responded with a stern voice, "Her superior's booting her off the case for a while. She believes she needs time away from this whole thing," she looked down at her lover and affectionately rubbed her head, adding, "Jo wasn't happy to hear it, but she didn't put up much of a fight. I think she's shaken up by the roof thing."

Wanting to shift the focus, Blair asked kindly, "Are you and Nat ok? I'm sorry I didn't call back right away."

A little smile appeared on the actress's face as she replied, "I think we're ok," she turned her head and looked at Natalie appreciatively, "we took care of each other." The other woman smiled shyly at her and got up and joined her side.

Blair smirked and commented, "Good, I was worried." An uninvited yawn crept up on the heiress, making her say, "I'm gonna go now Tootie. If you need anything, please call me right away, ok?"

Her friend nodded and replied, "I will, thanks Blair. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Blair then hung up.

Tootie put the phone away and breathed. She turned and saw Natalie standing beside her, looking eager. She asked, "Is Jo ok?" The shorter woman nodded and said, "She's ok...For now. Blair's looking after her." The writer rested her hands on her hips and blew out a relieved breath, "Thank God."

Tootie shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip and looking down at the floor. She looked up at her best friend and said, "Natalie, I just wanna say thank you for comforting me. I know I can be a drama queen sometimes..."

Her friend looked at her with worried eyes and cupped her face, saying, "Hey, don't feel bad. Trust me, you weren't the only one shaken up." The shorter woman clasped onto her friend's hands and said, "I know, but I really appreciate what you did for me. You tried to comfort me when I should've been comforting you." The heavier woman gave her a warm, loving smile and replied, "We comforted each other, and we'll leave it at that."

The duo gazed into each other's eyes for a long while. Natalie's thumbs absentmindedly grazed over the actress's cheeks. Her heart started pounding fiercely in her chest, making her self control weak. Without warning, she pressed her lips against Tootie's, kissing her longingly. The shorter woman made a startled noise.

 _"Oh my God, what is she doing? Is she kissing me? Why is Natalie kissing me,"_ she thought about this for a moment, _"Actually, Nat's not a bad kisser. Mmm, she's pretty good. She's better than Jeff._ " Tootie couldn't help but close her eyes and kissed back. She and her best friend had lost their control. She couldn't tell if she was caught up in the moment or if they were really doing this.

 _"Natalie Green, what the hell are you doing!? Stop it,"_ the reporter scolded. She forced herself to break the kiss and return to Earth. The two companions looked at each other with stunned expressions. The writer started to stumble over her words, "T-Tootie I don't, I have-I-I don't-" 

The door opened and Jeff entered the apartment with a bag of groceries. "Hey guys," he greeted in a friendly tone. Jeff had been out most of the day, and didn't hear about what had happened at all. He looked at the two women with a puzzled expression. He sensed tension as he asked, "Everything ok?"

Tootie brushed passed Natalie and said, "Um, it's...Um..." 

"It's been a long day," Natalie finished as she put her coat on. Her face was red from embarrassment, and she tried to hide it by leaving quickly, saying, "See you guys." She walked out of the door and closed it behind her. Jeff was confused and looked at Tootie.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling stressed all over again. She said, "It's been a very stressful day. Sit down and I'll tell you."

 

 


	5. Suspicions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The musketeers tread rough waters as their lives become more complicated. Blair looks for help as the hotel project begins to negatively affect the company. Jo struggles to keep her mind off of the case, but this proves to be extremely hard. Tootie's relationship with Jeff starts to strain, and becomes very confused with her feelings. Natalie finds herself becoming stressed over her work, and it doesn't help that her mind keeps going back to her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what Tad's last name is, so I made one up. Hope it sounds ok.
> 
> I've been writing this one all day, and I'm a bit tired, so it might not be as good as I intended. Still hope y'all enjoy it.

November 17th, 2002-Jo's brownstone apartment.

The alarm chirped loudly, forcing the sleeping brunette to aggressively slap it to silence. Jo growled and pushed her pillow over her head, praying that the sun would simply fizzle out already. The companion in her bed yawned and draped her arm over her. Blair barely heard the alarm, and for a moment, forgot that it was actually for her. Jo remembered though, and pushed the pillow off and nudged her girlfriend, saying groggily, "Princess, time to get up."

At this point in their relationship, Jo and Blair had gotten more comfortable with sharing their lives together. They hadn't moved in with each other, but it was something they were talking about. Blair had been spending more time at Jo's home than at her penthouse. When asked why that was, she said it was because the brownstone felt more homely and personal, as compared to her cold, contemporary penthouse. 

Blair grunted, "No. I don't want to get up."

"But Princess, ya got a meetin'n today," Jo stated plainly.

The heiress sighed dramatically, making her girlfriend roll her eyes. The ruffian poked her side playfully, making the other woman lurch away from her. Blair was quite ticklish, so the slightest touch to her sensitive spots made her squirm. The heiress pouted and exclaimed, "Hey! Watch it, you bully." Jo grinned innocently and said, "I didn't do nothin'n."

The biker stared at her girlfriend's adorable pout and chuckled. She cupped her face and asked, "Ok, will you go to your meetin'n if I make ya some pancakes?" The rich woman thought for a moment, then replied, "Alright, you got me."

The couple left the bedroom and went downstairs. Jo went into the little kitchen and prepared breakfast while Blair set the table in the dining room. Today she was set to meet Tad and Roger Wilton for lunch to talk over business. She was nervous as she didn't know what Mr. Wilton would be like, or whether he'd actually be helpful. But at this point she was desperate. The company started losing money over this hotel project, and many members of the board were beginning to question her abilities. The whole situation had become extremely stressful for her, which was why she was spending so much of her free time with Jo. 

She glanced up at the brunette after setting the plates. She still worried about her, even with the therapy sessions. Natalie's suspicions were correct when the therapist reported that Jo was, in fact, suffering from depression. The brunette was very displeased to hear this, as it reminded her too much of her childhood friend Gloria. Not wanting to end up like her, Jo was determined to work through this. She used her family and friends as motivation. 

The past weeks have been rocky for Jo and Blair, and secretly, the blond wished she could whisk herself and her love away from it all and settle down somewhere far away.

"Hey Jo," asked Blair.

"Yeah," the biker watched the batter intensely as it baked in the pan. Her partner entered the kitchen and sidled up next to her, asking, "While I certainly love this place, I have to ask...Do you think you would want to settle down somewhere else?" Jo shot an eyebrow up and glanced at her curiously, replying, "Why'd ya ask?"

"I'm curious. You can be honest," responded the clever blond, "if we decide to start living together, would you want to move somewhere else?" The ruffian pondered thoughtfully for a while, carefully flipping the pancakes as she did so. She answered cautiously, "Well, I admit, I get tired of the city sometimes. I'd like to live somewhere where there's trees, big lawns, quiet towns, stuff like that. I've thought about Upstate a few times."

Blair's eyes widen with a look of mortification, saying, "Upstate? You mean with farmland, cows, dirt, and country hicks? You hate country hicks!" Her girlfriend nodded and replied, "Yeah, but not all of 'em are like that. Besides, I wouldn't drag you there. I think Peekskill will be better."

The blond's had a surprised smile on her face, asking, "Oh really?" Jo grinned and nodded. She moved pass Blair and took the plates from the table to pile the pancakes on, then instructed her to bring them back to the table. Soon the couple were sitting and eating their delicious breakfast. Their conversation about future living locations became more serious. It was clear that Blair really wanted to start a life together. On the one hand, Jo was very touched by this, and she definitely agreed that she wanted it, however, she pointed out to her love that they weren't in a position to do that sort of thing yet. Despite her disappointment, Blair agreed.

 

Around twelve-thirty, Blair was ready for her meeting. Her anxiety grew as she thought about it more and more, and Jo took notice. The heiress was skittishly putting papers into her suitcase when Jo came up behind her and embraced her lovingly. She kissed her cheek and said, "Hey, it's gonna be ok. Don't get all worked up 'bout it."

Blair sighed and unintentionally flipped her hair in Jo's face, making the brunette tisk in irritation. She replied, "I know, but I can't help it. I'm nervous! What if he doesn't agree? Or what if he just ruins everything?"

"Who is this guy anyway," asked Jo curiously. The debutante answered, "His name's Roger Wilton. He's a hotel owner and Tad believes he could help us with this project." Something in the back of Bronx girl's mind was triggered. The name sounded familiar to her for some reason. She thought about it, then remembered where she had heard that name before.

Her thoughts were disrupted when she felt Blair idly brushing her fingers over her arms. The heiress looked down casted, and it tugged on her girlfriend's heart. Jo turned her around and kissed her sweetly, then she squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's gonna be alright," she said with a smile.

Blair gave her a small smile and pressed her forehead against hers, saying, "Thank you honey." She and Jo walked toward the door, exchanged goodbye kisses and parted ways. Jo waved to her when she got into the limousine and drove away. As soon as she was out of sight, she rushed back into the house and grabbed the phone. She started dialing up a familiar number.

"Hello, Kelly? It's me, Jo," her voice was serious and filled with determination, "I know I shouldn't be calling you, but I need you to do somethin'n for me."

 

Natalie tapped her pen on her desk as she stared at the report she was given. A rookie reporter had eagerly placed it on her desk, hoping she'd approve of it and have it air on TV. She was about to disappoint the young man when he walked in. She glared at him and said, "Have a seat John."

John's grin faded when he sat down. He saw the look in his boss's face, and it was anything but positive. She stacked the report neatly, then crossed her fingers together over it and said, "I'm very disappointed in you. I told you to report on that fire downtown, and you did that, but you put no heart or soul into it."

He furrowed his eyebrows and replied, "But you told me to be objective."

She nodded and replied, slightly irritated, "Yes, it's objective, but it's also boring!" She stood up, "Three people died in this fire John, you gotta tell this story properly! You need to tell it with respect, objectiveness, and interest. What you gave me was plain wheat bread!" The younger man glared at her and said, "I'm sorry, I'll do better. I'll go over it again..."

"That's all I'm asking from you," she replied exasperatedly. The slightly offended rookie got up and walked out of her office, leaving the plump woman by herself. She groaned and buried  her face into her desk. That's the fifth time this week she had scolded a rookie, simply because they didn't live up to her standards. She felt a little guilty; she knew how hard it was being a rookie, as she experienced that herself when she started out. Normally she wasn't that tough on them.

She was very distracted. She couldn't stop thinking about that kiss she shared with Tootie. It made things between them so awkward, and neither of them could talk to one another properly. Nat hated it and really wished she hadn't done that. Actually, she hated a lot of things, one of them being her job. Being a news producer was stressful for her, as she had to make a lot of decisions, hard decisions. She didn't like turning down excitable reporters, or deny potential stories because they were sketchy, or the corporate shills breathing down her neck. It was aggravating, and she was starting to miss her days as a simple news reporter.

A gentle knock on the door got her to lift her head up. Tootie was standing in the doorframe, shifting her weight from foot to foot. The room immediately filled with tension as the two friends stared at each other. Natalie fidgeted with the her pen and bit her lip apprehensively, looking away from her friend. The actress took a deep breath and asked, "Can we talk?"

"Um," started the producer, "sure, take a seat." The actress closed the door and sat down, keeping her eyes on the little rubber toy duck that sat on the desk. Nat used it as a stress releaser when she was talking about something uncomfortable. As the woman predicted, her friend grabbed her duck and fumbled it around her fingers, ready to squeeze it.

"So what do you wanna talk about," Nat asked tensely. Her friend crossed her legs and started, "I wanna talk about that kiss we shared. Just to make it clear, I'm not angry about it, I'm just...confused. I don't know if I got caught up in the moment or not. I wanna know what you think."

The reporter gulped and squeezed the duck, unsure if she really wanted to answer.

"I don't wanna ruin our friendship over this," Tootie added timidly. Natalie glanced at her with a sympathetic expression. She didn't want to ruin her friendship either, but it was hard for her to deny her feelings, which she concluded were genuine. She had kissed her for a reason. But then there was the fact that Jeff existed, and that fact annoyed her. She made a decision.

"Tootie, what I think is complicated. I'm more concerned with knowing what you think. How do you feel about all of this," she asked honestly. 

The woman contemplated her feelings, her true feelings. Then she thought of Jeff, and how their relationship had been weighing lately. She was getting tired of his un-purposeful freeloading and seeming disinterest in her acting. She could breakup with him...But she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to let that part of her life go just yet. But when she looked into the eyes of her dear, sweet friend, it made her decision even harder. She was becoming agitated with her thoughts, and Natalie seemed to sense it.

The reporter reached over and grabbed her hand gently, saying, "Ok Tootie, I'm gonna lay this down. I don't know what this thing is between us, but honestly, I'd like to explore it. However, I don't want you to feel pressured, so don't give me an answer right now. I want you to sort your own feelings out first, and when you're ready, we'll talk. Ok?"

The actress looked down and bit her lip, nodding slowly as she focused on Natalie's words. She replied, "Ok Nat, I'll do that. Thank you." She met her friend's eyes and gave her a weak smile. It was returned with a soft grin. Feeling a little better about the situation, she got up and left. Natalie sat back in her chair and breathed. She had no idea where this would go.

 

"Jo, I really shouldn't be talkin'n to you," Kelly said with exasperation. The brunette blew her breath and replied, "I know, I know, I shouldn't be talkin'n to you either, but I need you to do somethin'n for me." 

Jo had promised Blair she'd stay far away from the case as much as possible while on her absence. But the nagging in her brain kept her from doing so. She became obsessive with it, and her guilt for the deceased kept her from being free. She nervously drummed her fingers on the hallway table as she waited for her partner to answer.

"Alright, fine, what is it," Kelly asked.

Jo began, "Remember when we did a check on associates that business guy had? Well, I want you to look up one of them; Roger Wilton."

"Why that name," asked Kelly, curious as to where her officer was going.

"I remember his name coming up when doin'n a background check on the business guy. He, Wilton and another man robbed a house twenty years ago, and when police were called there, the homeowner was found dead. The three of them disappeared and the cops never caught 'em. I don't know why...I just got a hunch."

"What about the other guy," asked Kelly, typing the name into the computer and glancing at the note the dead man had left. Her partner replied, "He was killed fifteen years ago in a botched bank robbery. I'm sure he ain't our man." The younger officer mumbled to herself and stated, "Alright, I'll look into it for you, but I don't know if I'll find anything."

Jo, feeling relieved, said, "Thanks Kel, I owe ya one."

"It's fine, but seriously, we shouldn't be doin'n this. You owe me dinner and five beers at this point," Kelly retorted sternly. She said goodbye and hung up.

Jo put the phone down and sighed, then she shuffled to the living room and dropped herself onto the couch. She stared at the TV when she turned it on and some mindless slasher film came on. As she watched, flashbacks appeared to her. Small snippets of blood and torn flesh suddenly flashed into her mind and it made the woman flinch. She groaned and rubbed her head, letting a whimper escape her throat. She quickly changed the channel and tried to distract herself. 

"Hope Blair will be home soon," she muttered to herself, curling into a tight ball.

 

Blair tried to suppress the giggle she had. Tad had told an inappropriate joke, and normally she would've been against such a joke, but the way he told it made it too funny not to laugh. Tad snickered and said, "I'm so sorry, I just couldn't help it. That guy that walked by just looked crazy."

"I know," Blair agreed, "His shorts were so damn tight!" Her giggling subsided when she saw a man approach them. He had sleek grey hair and thick glasses, and a handsome chiseled face. He smiled at the two when he came over to them. 

"Roger Wilton," he greeted, "You must be Blair Warner and Tad Mason. It's so nice to meet you." He shook their hands carefully. He then sat down and put his briefcase down on the floor between his legs. Blair started politely, "So Mr. Wilton, Tad tells me that you're a successful hotel owner. How did that happen?" 

The man smiled proudly and replied, "Well, I worked in the hotel business for most of my young life. When I finished college, I took what I had saved over the years and bought an old, rundown motel. I got it running again and worked it for three years. Then after that I bought two more motels, and then eventually a two-star hotel. I got them all up to five!"

He continued to list off his accomplishments, which impressed Tad. Blair was mildly impressed, though something bugged her. Wilton mentioned that twenty years ago, he had run into financial issues. His explanation as to where he got the money from to save his business was vague, and the heiress was bothered by that. However, the more Wilton talked about being interested in helping them,(as long as he got a share) the more she was pushed into her decision of partnering with him. 

After a long talk of numbers, deals and other things, Roger spoke, "Well Ms. Warner, you know where I stand. I'll help you get this hotel project off the ground if you give me a third of the revenue. What do you think?"

Blair thought about it for a moment, thinking long and hard, then answered, "Alright Mr. Wilton, I accept your offer. It's a deal." She reached over and shook his hand, smiling. The man eagerly shook back and said, "Great, I can't wait to start business with you. Now, let's order lunch!" The two business associates agreed. Tad winked at Blair, pleased by how the deal went down. Blair nodded at him, also pleased. However, she couldn't stop thinking about that vague money issue.

She wouldn't stop thinking about it for a while.

 


	6. The Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As fall turns to winter, the case takes an unexpected turn when the killer adds a new element to their murders. Jo unintentionally gets her friends involved as the rabbit hole twists and turns in their directions.  
> Natalie starts to secretly investigate the case herself while Blair and Tootie grow suspicious at the behavior of the new hotel business associate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to change the tags for this story because, while I was writing it, I noticed it's started to take on a darker tone. I guess I've been watching too many crime shows lately, because this supposed romantic story involving The Facts of Life is turning into a crime thriller. In one way, I wish I hadn't taken it in this direction, but at the same time, it's kinda cool to me. I like this bizarre idea of the FOL gang getting involved in murder mysteries for some reason. 
> 
> However, maybe others wouldn't like that. So, that's why in the comments I would appreciate it if readers could tell me how they feel about this story so far. Do you think it's running smoothly? Is the tone shift too jagged? Is it too jumbled together? The feedback would really help. Enjoy!

December 3rd, 2002

The eerie evening was bitter cold. A quiet, icy wind struck Jo as she stood near the road with several officers. The long road sat in the middle of a snowy landscape of dying, dreary trees and sheets of white covering the ground. It was an isolated spot; a perfect dumping ground for bodies. But on this day, the isolated area was visited by a passing car heading to Peekskill. The detectives were quickly alerted to the scene and were greeted by a gruesome sight.

Jo, Kelly and Cindy stared at the grotesque display that laid on the ground. It was the body of a woman, no more than twenty years old, covered in vicious cuts, tears and blood. The cold, lifeless cadaver almost blended into the snow, though it stuck out due to the blood-stained black clothes and chunks of flesh ripped from her side. There were forty-two stab wounds all around her corpse, and fifteen gashes that seemed to have been made by a different weapon. It was like a savage animal had mauled the woman to death, however, the three officers could see that wasn't the situation.

"It's like the suspect was trying to imitate animal behavior," commented Cindy, watching the pathologist study the corpse. Kelly shook her head, feeling unnerved by the notion. She asked, "Do you think it's the same suspect as our guy?" 

Jo, not moving her gaze from the distance beyond her, replied frankly, "I think it is. The last couple of bodies we've found look similar," she grimaced, "though, this is the worst out of all of 'em…"

Ever since Jo was granted permission to return to the case,(after twisting her superior's arm) three more murders had taken place. The three crime scenes were linked to the serial killer they were after, mainly because the disappearances of the women were the same as previous victims. However, the detective noticed that the killings were gradually becoming more violent and aggressive. It disturbed the brunette greatly, and only fueled her desire to capture the murderer further.

"These almost look like claw marks, but I don't think a creature did this," concluded the pathologist as he stood up. Kelly looked up at the man and asked, "This might be a stretch, but do you think someone used, I don't know, fake claws? Maybe to make it look like an animal did this?" The doctor shrugged and answered, "Possibly, but I won't know until I study the wounds at the lab and compare possible murder weapons. It was definitely some sort of sharp object that did this."

 

After investigating the crime scene for a good while, the area was cut off with tape and the detectives took whatever evidence they could find back to headquarters. Kelly and Jo stood in front of the investigation board and studied the photos taken while Cindy read over a transcript that was handed to her.

Jo stated, "Ok, so we know that the victim was taken from Peekskill three days ago, right here on outside of this store," she pointed to a map with a red circle of where the victim was taken, "and then, she was taken all the way outside of town and dumped next to the side of this road."

Kelly crossed her arms and pointed out, "Dave said she's been dead for 'bout a day, most likely killed the day she was kidnapped. The gashes to her side indicate that the killer took some of her flesh," she squirmed uncomfortably and added, "don't know why that is..."

Jo didn't respond, but she simply stared at the horrific photos. She carefully went over the facts in her mind, thinking about how the murders were progressing.  They went from women being stabbed to death to a gory, violent mess. She was puzzled by one thing; why would the killer try to make it look like an animal had done it? Unless, that wasn't the intention... 

The officer's sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling an overwhelming headache attack her. Kelly took notice and rested her hand on her partner's shoulder, saying, "Wanna call it a night Jo?" The brunette nodded and slumped her shoulders in a tired manner. It had been a long day of paperwork, investigating and a new body being found. She had reached her mental capacity for the day.

Kelly patted her arm and started to walk out with her, until Cindy stood up and spoke, "Wait guys. Don't go just yet." Their interest peaked by the letter the blond held in her hands, they came closer to her and looked over her shoulder at the letter. She stated, "I got this transcript from the note Morrison left behind before he hung himself. It reads; 'Oh great lord, I wish to live no more, for I can no longer bare this burden. The wolf wants to hunt and eat the lamb, but I refuse to watch. I cannot commit such a sin again. Beware the wolf, for he hungers the flesh.'"

"What the fuck," spat Kelly, confused by the puzzling description. Jo's brow furrowed as she pondered, reciting the words in her head. " _'The wolf wants to hunt and eat the lamb, but I refuse to watch. I cannot commit such a sin again. Beware the wolf, for he hungers the flesh,'_ " she repeated the words like a mantra.

The officer finally spoke, "We're gonna have to look more into this. By 'wolf,' I'm assumin' he means the killer." She sighed and scratched the back of her head. Despite her curiosity peaked, she was feeling tired and drained. A part of her just wanted to go to the bar with Kelly and Cindy, and then later be home with Blair.

 

The two other detectives seemed to share her sentiment, and agreed to check up on the lead the next day. They then checked out and head to the local bar. They sat in their usual booth and ordered three beers. Jo looked around the establishment and scanned the faces of the other patrons out of instinct. She then saw a surprising familiar face across from their booth. She got up and walked over to the figure.

"Nat? What are you doin' here," she asked when she approached her plump friend. The slightly buzzed producer looked up at her friend and gave her a half grin. She replied wearily, "Hey Jo, nice to see you here."

"What are ya doin' here," asked Jo, noticing that Natalie seemed a little down. The reporter sighed and replied, "Personal stuff with Tootie and I..." The biker raised an eyebrow and repeated, "Personal stuff with Tootie? Wanna talk about it?" She gestured to the booth where Cindy and Kelly were, suggesting that she come and join them. The brown haired girl hesitated for a moment, but then she obliged and joined them.

After much convincing, Jo, Cindy and Kelly got Natalie to open up about her situation with her best friend. It really surprised them, especially Jo and Cindy, who remembered the days where Natalie would lust over men. The reporter was down casted by Tootie's lack of response as to how she felt about her. Natalie sheepishly admitted she developed romantic feelings for her actress friend.

Jo reached over and held her friend's hand, saying, "Aw Nat, that's real rough. I'm sorry 'bout that...Maybe she's just not sure 'bout her feelings yet." The two other women nodded in agreement.

The producer blew out a frustrated breath and replied, "I know, but it's getting harder for me. I just wanna know how she feels! Is it really that hard to say yes or no? When someone asks you 'do you want eggs,' you don't ponder about it, you either say yes or no!" She begrudgingly slumped in her seat and sighed. Jo patted her hand and responded, "Just wait and see Natalie, you'll get your answer."

The reporter shrugged and changed the subject, "So what's going on with you guys?" Kelly shifted uncomfortably and replied, "Had a rough day today. We got another victim." Natalie's eyes widened as she replied, "Oh God...Not another one. Is it just as bad as the last one?" Jo took a swig of her beer and replied bluntly, "Somehow it's worse." Natalie couldn't imagine how it could be worse, but she humored her companions as they shared a few details. 

The trio ended up drinking more than they intended, and spilled the information about the strange note. Natalie was disturbed and fascinated by the information, and the curious reporter within her started taking notes about the details, and tried to figure out what the message could mean. She commented, "So you think 'the wolf' is referring to the killer?"

Kelly nodded and hoarsely replied, "Yep...And he's hungry like the wolf..." She snorted at her own tasteless joke and slumped in her seat. Jo glanced at her watch and groaned, "Damn it, it's late. I should've been home by now. Blair's gonna be pissed."

"Ooh, someone's gonna end up in the doghouse tonight," joked Cindy as she finished off her beer. Jo smirked and shook her head, then she stood up. But she didn't move as a thought popped into her head. She said, "Ah shit, we can't drive home."

Natalie stood up and replied, "It's ok, we'll just call a cab." The group agreed and left the bar.

 

Jo was dropped off at her brownstone home. She fumbled for the keys in her pocket and unlocked the door once she found them. When she entered, she found the apartment to be dark and quiet, with the ticking of the clock being the only source of sound. The drunk biker clumsily tip-toed down the hall and headed toward the stairs, hoping that Blair was asleep in bed. Suddenly, she tripped over a box and nearly fell over, forcing her to let out a hushed curse.

"God damn it," she growled. Suddenly, a lamp in the living room was turned on, which startled her. Looking up, she saw Blair sitting in the chair in her nightgown, looking very discontent and irritated. The blond crossed her arms and stared at her girlfriend intensely and tapped her foot. The gruff woman cleared her throat nervously and clutched her hands behind her back. She lowered her head and made her way over to Blair with a guilty look on her face.

"Uh, hi honey," she greeted timidly. She tried to smile, but it faltered when she noticed the unmoved expression on her partner's face. Blair responded sternly, "Jo, where've you been? You didn't come home for dinner! I was really worried about you!"

Jo pulled her arms forward and intertwined her fingers together, replying, "I know...I'm sorry 'bout that babe. The girls and I were just gonna have one beer, but then we met Natalie and ended up having more. It's been a real tough day." She rubbed the back of her head and glanced up at Blair, adding, "We got called in 'bout another body..."

The heiress's anger subsided, and then she took pity on her girlfriend. Jo didn't usually drink more than one beer, and the only time she did so was when she felt troubled.

Blair came over and hugged Jo, speaking softly in her ear, "Are you ok?" The detective returned the hug and answered softly, "Kinda. The murders are gettin' worse..." The honey-haired woman looked at her worryingly and cupped her cheek, then pressed her forehead against hers.

Jo gave her a slight smile, much to Blair's surprise. The biker silently communicated her appreciation to her love for her concern and comforting presence before kissing her. Blair kissed back before breaking the kiss, saying, "Oof, you smell like alcohol."

The gruff woman pouted, not appreciating the remark. The heiress simply smiled and took her hand, asking, "Are you hungry?" Jo blinked a few times, trying to get herself out of her drunken stupor, before replying, "Sure, I can eat."

The couple went into the kitchen and fixed an assortment of snacks. Jo shared information about the newest murder, trying to not go into great detail of the gory scenes. Nevertheless, it left Blair disturbed.

Afterwards, they went to bed, with Jo falling asleep right away. Blair snuggled up to her and held her tightly, thinking about the case. She desperately wished it would end already.

 

 

December 4th, 2002-Natalie's office at CNN 

Natalie stared at the piece of paper for a while, rereading its context. It was an ancient report she found that mentioned Thomas Morrison, the man who had left the mysterious note behind when he killed himself. It was the only known copy of a page from an old police case that involved the ritualistic killings of four women on Langley's college campus back in 1970. According to the report, the killers cannibalized the victims in an effort to become their "spirit animals," and that only four men were caught. Two suspected members of this insane gang were never charged due to technicalities. Natalie vaguely remembered hearing about this story from her fellow classmates when she attended Langley, but she was shocked to learn that it was true.

The page she read listed several suspects, including Morrison. The reason why he came under suspicion was because of an account his roommate had made, claiming the man started acting strange after joining "that really weird animal gang." However, the police could not prove that he was involved with the killings because of his alibis.

The producer then pulled out another file, which was a detailed description of the roommate's account. She wondered if this roommate, George Springer, was still around. She decided to look into it, but as she rose from her seat, she heard a knock on the door. 

"Come in," she called. She was surprised to see Jeff enter her office. He had a tense, disapproving expression on his face, and it made the plump woman cringe slightly. She asked pensively, "Hey Jeff...Um, is something wrong?" The tall man nodded and answered curtly, "Yeah, definitely. I got a bone to pick with you, Green."

Natalie narrowed her eyes and retorted, "And what does that mean?"  He glared at her and hissed, "I don't know what's going on between you and Tootie, but whatever it is, you quit it! She's been acting weird lately, and all she'll tell me is that it's because of this tiff, or whatever it is, between you two."

The reporter was stunned. Was this Tootie's doing? Was Jeff just being an ass? She clenched her fists and responded crossly, "It's nothing that concerns you Jeff, so stay out of it." He got closer to her and exclaimed, "It _is_ my business because I'm her _boyfriend_ _!"_

Suddenly, Natalie grabbed his shirt collar and growled, "Some boyfriend you are! You're always running off, and when you do come back, it's usually because you want something! You know Jeff, you use to be an ok guy, but you've turned into a freeloading jerk! Tootie deserves better!"

Stunned, Jeff stepped away from the woman and stared at her. He didn't say anything, and he looked hurt by her words. The angry reporter panted lightly and looked away, regretting her outburst. Out of the corner of her eye, she unfortunately spotted Tootie, who chased after Jeff when he told her he was going to confront Nat. She was shocked by what she had heard, and nervously shifted her eyes from one person to another. Overwhelmed, she fled from the doorway and left Natalie and Jeff behind. The producer felt mortified and guilty, knowing she had taken it too far.

The young man glared intensely at Natalie, muttering, "I get it now. I should've known." He shook his head and walked out of the office, feeling numb. Nat stood alone as she dwelled on how horrible she had handled the situation. She hastily packed her papers, having no desire to stay and work. A rookie reporter poked his head inside and spoke, "Hey boss, I have that essay you asked f-"

"Not now, Bob," she stated bluntly, "I'm going home." She took her suitcase and brushed pass the rookie, not making any form of eye contact. She didn't care if it would get her in trouble; she wanted nothing else other than to bury her mind into her private investigation. 

 

December 5th, 2002-The Warner Company Textile Building

Blair typed away at her computer as she secretly searched for a certain piece of information. She was startled by the phone when it rang, and answered it quickly, "Uh, y-yes?" Her secretary told her that Ms. Ramsey wanted to see her, and though the heiress thought it was strange, she told her to send her in. The actress entered the office shortly afterward, looking troubled.

"Tootie, are you ok," Blair asked, concerned. The actress took a deep breath and replied truthfully, "No, I'm not. I know your busy, but...Can we talk?" Seeing the pained expression on the woman's face, the heiress responded kindly, "Oh Tootie, of course. Sit down and tell me what's wrong."

The actress sat down and shakily explained her troubling situation with Natalie and Jeff. The heiress was very surprised by her dear friend's love triangle, but she understood and sympathized with her. She placed her hand onto her friend's and spoke, "Tootie, I'm sorry you're going through this. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," she sadly replied. She sighed and added, "Neither of them will talk to me. I just wanna sort this whole thing out! I'm so confused and upset!" She placed her face into her hands and whimpered. Blair got up from her seat and hugged Tootie, saying, "I think the first thing you should do is try to figure out how you feel about both of them. Do you have romantic feelings for either of them? Be honest with yourself." Her young friend looked up at her, realizing she was right. She nodded and replied, "I guess I should do that..."

The blond patted her back and replied, "It's gonna be ok Tootie. You'll figure it out, and of course, if you need my help, I have your back." Blair confidently flipped her hair and smiled at her young friend, who couldn't help but giggle. Glancing up a the glass door, Blair saw the shadow of a figure who quickly walked away. She became alert and defensive as she watched the shadow disappear.

Tootie, noticing the shift in behavior, asked, "Something wrong Blair?" The heiress sat back down and spoke in a low voice, "That was Roger Wilton. I think he was trying to listen." The actress shot an eyebrow upward and questioned, "What? Why? Isn't he the hotel owner you guys hired?" The blond nodded, still eyeing the door. She leaned in and quietly stated, "There's something really off about him."

The nosy younger woman's eyes glanced toward the door and then back to her friend. Blair continued, "You see, when we hired him, he talked about falling into financial trouble twenty years ago, but then somehow he came into money and pulled himself out of it. I've tried to ask him about it, but he won't answer my question. So I've been trying to figure out where he got that money from." She gestured to her computer, implicating that that was what she was looking for.

She continued, with a small hint of worry in her voice, "Lately, he's been acting weird. His office has tons of pictures and statues of wolves, which itself isn't that weird, but...I don't know, he talks about them all the time. On top of that, he acts strange around others. He'll stare at people sometimes, like he's studying them, and he'll make growling noises when he's annoyed about something. The thing that really bothers me is how he stares at all the female staff here at the office. It's just...uncomfortable."

Tootie shook her head and responded, "He sounds like a real strange dude. Has anyone else said anything?" The blond nodded and replied, "Yeah. I've spoken to some of the girls and Tad, and they agree that he gives off a creepy vibe. However, nothing's happened, so I can't fire him. Not that I could..."

She exhaled in frustration, "Most of the board members, including my father, are convinced that he's gonna save this company. He helped us buy a piece of land to use as a building sight for our first hotel, and he got it for a great deal. Roger's laid out a whole four-year plan for the first phase of this project, and according to him, it's going to double our profits than previously thought. I think if I tried to fire him, the board will have my skin."

The actress examined the tired, begrudging expression on the former debutante's face. She could tell Blair was tired of the project and she wanted nothing to do with it anymore. She remembered a conversation she had with her a short while ago, in which the rich woman admitted she thought about stepping down from the position and resuming her previous job, which was vice president, or even going further back and continue being chief accountant.

The two women jumped when they heard a knock on the door. Blair shakily exclaimed, "Come in!" Mr. Wilton poked his head in and stated, "Sorry to bother you Ms. Warner, but I just wanted to tell you that I have those plans for the property drawn up. I'll bring them in when you're ready to look at them."

Blair nodded and replied, "Ok, thank you." The man's eyes caught Tootie's, and as he stared at her, a small, unnerving grin grew on his face. He greeted her politely, "Oh hello. I didn't see you there." The actress tensed up instantly and replied, "Um, it's ok. I'm actually about to leave." The man nodded and closed the door, leaving behind an air of uneasiness.

Tootie turned to Blair and replied skittishly, "I see what you mean...He creeped me out!" The heiress nodded and eyed the door once more. Something in the pit of her stomach told her to keep a close eye on Roger Wilton. 


	7. Coming Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tootie, Natalie and Blair interesting information with Jo, which could possibly help identify the killer. While discussing the case at Mrs. Garrett's home, however, an unexpected guest drops by, which leads to a dangerous situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting to the end. While I've had fun writing this story, I do believe I could've done a little better. ESEPCIALLY the murder mystery. I found myself getting confused and frustrated while trying to write it. I intend on improving my writings in future stories, and possibly some day I'll rewrite this one to make a better version. Still, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Something I've realized too late that in chapter 5, I failed to explain how the cops found out Roger Wilton and Thomas Morrison were the ones who robbed the house. I'll give an explanation here. I apologize for that. I'm not sure why or how I missed that originally. 
> 
> BTW-The identity of the killer is obvious at this point, but I'm hoping it comes off as suspenseful in a way if the characters are unaware.

December 6th, 2002-Natalie's Apartment

Tootie stood in front of the apartment door; she was afraid to knock, not knowing what she'd be greeted by. She took a deep breath and talked herself into timidly rattling her fist against the door. A part of her hoped it wouldn't be answered, but when she heard footsteps, she winced. She was incredibly nervous. 

A tired Natalie answered it. She had dark rings under her eyes due to having trouble sleeping the night before. Her project had been on her mind all night, making it difficult to sleep. She yawned and blinked a few times before greeting her friend.

"Tootie? What brings you here," she asked, feeling slightly apprehensive. Her friend cleared her throat and replied, "Um, I wanted to talk to you. Unless this is a bad time..."

The reporter shook her head and answered, "No, it's not. Please come in."

The actress walked in and saw piles of files and papers scattered around the chairs and the coffee table. In the middle of the room was a write board with various notes scribbled on it, all pointed to one central phrase, "The Wolf." Tootie stared at the state of the living room with confusion, wondering what on earth was the writer up to. Natalie moved some papers and sat down on the couch. She patted to the seat next to her and gestured to her friend to join her. The gossipy woman obliged and gingerly sat down. 

 

There was awkward silence for a few moments. Tootie glanced around the room, avoiding eye contact with Natalie, while the other woman wrung her hands together nervously.

Before the young woman spoke, her friend abruptly said, "I'm sorry for fighting with Jeff. It wasn't my place to tell him off, and I was wrong for doing so. I just...I got caught up in my own thoughts, I guess. He's your boyfriend, and I don't have the right to say who you should or shouldn't date."

"Actually, he's my ex-boyfriend now," stated Tootie. Nat gave her friend a puzzled look and asked, "Wait, what?"

Her friend shifted and replied, "Jeff and I had a long talk this morning, and we decided to end our relationship. It's not working out for us anymore, and we agreed we'd be better off ending things as friends. He felt like I'd be better off being with someone else."

"Um, who would that be," Natalie sheepishly asked. Tootie gave her a small grin as she held her hand, answering, "Maybe a best friend who's always there for me when I need her. And someone who's willing to give any relationship a try." The producer blushed like a beat and grinned. She wasn't sure if this was really happening, but if it was, she thought, then it was amazing.

The two women gazed at each other as their hearts pounded excitedly in unison. They leaned their faces closer to each other, ready to touch lips. 

Suddenly, the phone rang loudly and startled them both. Natalie bounced off the couch and quickly grabbed the phone and answered it. Tootie tried to eavesdrop on her friend's conversation, but she was distracted by the white board. She got up and studied its contents and recognized some of notes which related to Jo's case. Was Natalie working with Jo? Highly unlikely, but it was still odd.

She then heard her friend get off the phone and excitedly exclaim, "I got it! I got the interview!"

"What interview," asked Tootie. Nat trotted over to her, kissed her on the nose and replied, "Someone who can possibly help with Jo's crazy case! I'm gonna go talk to him now." She began to place her jacket over her body, but ceased when Tootie grabbed her arm and whined, "You're just gonna leave without telling me what's going on?" Her friend rolled her eyes and replied, "Ok, I'll let you in."

So Natalie shared what she had found in her own investigation, including the old case files, Thomas Morrison and his roommate. According to the man, who lived in Peekskill, he had new information to share, some of which he was too afraid to come forward with at the time of the original murder case from 1970.

Natalie finished her explanation, "I need to go talk to him before we go over to Mrs. G's tonight. I'd offer you to come along, but I don't know if you wanna come along thou-"

"Excuse me," started Tootie, feigning being offended, "what makes you think I don't wanna go? Of course I do!" She hopped up and took Natalie's hand, saying, "Let's go partner!"

 

 

Jo and Blair were in the brownstone home, lazing around in the living room. The couple shared the couch and laid across from each other on either side, with Blair reading and Jo idly tossing a baseball up in the air and catching it. The officer was waiting for an important phone call from her partner after asking her to run an in-depth background check on Roger Wilton. Earlier in the day, Blair had relayed her observations about the man's tale of financial trouble at the station when she came to drop off Jo's forgotten lunch. Remembering  that Thomas Morrison had robbed a house with two accomplices about a decade ago, the brunette felt that the coincidences were too close.

Growing bored of the noise on the TV, Jo struck up a conversation, "So, Nat's got the hots for Tootie?" After a moment of registering what was just said, Blair replied, "It seems that way. I'm honestly surprised. I didn't think either of them were into girls."

Jo shrugged and tossed her baseball up in the air and stated, "Well, I'm not too shocked by Tootie. She's got a good taste in guys and girls." Her girlfriend shot an eyebrow up and asked, "How do you know that?"

The brunette caught the ball and ceased throwing it as her face turned red. She stammered, "Um, well...I dated her once..." The heiress put her book down and took her glasses off as her jaw dropped. 

"Wait, you dated Tootie," Blair asked in astonishment. Jo motioned her hands around as she tried to find her voice. She stated, "Well...She and Jeff had a small breakup, and I had just gone through a rough relationship, and I don't know, we went out once." The nosy debutante asked, "How far did it go?"

Somehow Jo's face got redder as she sheepishly replied, "...I might've slept with her." She desperately wished she could disappear into the couch as she witnessed the expression on her girlfriend's face. Blair gasped, then she giggled uncontrollably before she teased, "Good God Jo, which one of our old schoolmates have you not dated? First Sue Ann, then Cindy, then Molly, then Nancy, and now Tootie? My God you're an animal!"

Jo grunted at the blonde as she snickered like a hyena. Posed as a saving grace, the phone alerted the brunette. She rose from the couch and retrieved the phone, making sure to stick her tongue out at Blair before answering it. "Hello," she greeted.

"Jo, it's Kelly. Good news, we finally found something on Wilton. I've done several background checks on the guy since ya first asked me, and at the time, the only thing I could find was an old police report from twenty years ago involving that robbery/murder case. They became suspects thanks to an anonymous tip they got. According to the tip, Wilton was struggling financially with his hotel business, so the cops figured they'd investigate 'em. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough evidence or any eyewitnesses to positively pin the two. So the case went cold and Wilton and Morrison took off."

Jo listened carefully, then replied, "Ok, so we know a little more 'bout that case. But how can we prove Wilton was there? I mean there's the financial issue, but how can we say he definitely was involved?"

A proud smirk crossed Kelly's face as she replied, "Good news; Morrison happened to be a man with a serious guilt complex. Cindy checked out his apartment and found a series of diaries that date back to 1992. In the first diary, Morrison talks about the case, and believe it or not, actually admits to it. He goes on about how he wished Wilton hadn't shot the homeowner when they robbed the house. So we can definitely say that Wilton and Morrison were involved in the robbery case."

The brunette puffed out a sigh of relief. Now they knew what the connection between the two men were. But it still left one question; is Wilton involved in the serial killings? Jo pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think any of those diaries will give us clues about 'the wolf'?"

Kelly responded, "Maybe. Cindy and I are readin' over them right now. It might take a while since there's a decade worth of writing to go over."

The biker nodded and replied, "Ok, thanks Kel. Update me if ya find somethin'." She glanced over at Blair, who was eagerly listening in on the conversation. She said goodbye and hung up and prepared herself for the bombardment of questions she was about to receive. 

"What's going on? What did they find out? Did it have something to do with Wilton," Blair asked excitedly. Jo hushed her and sat back down. She answered, "Well Blair, you had the right to be suspicious. Turns out Roger Wilton was involved in a robbery twenty years ago, in which a homeowner was murdered. And, if we can find anything else 'bout 'em...He could be a suspect in our murder investigation."

The heiress's eyes widen as the revelation horrified her. She knew there was something off about the businessman, but the fact that he took part in a robbery, and the possibility that he could be a killer, terrified her. She quickly stammered, "W-What should I do?"

"Nothin', I don't want you to do anythin'. We don't have any evidence of him being the killer. So we gotta dig some more before we can bring him in for questioning. Just don't share this information with anyone, do you understand?"

The blonde nodded and replied, "I won't, but...I'm still nervous." Jo smiled and pulled her into a hug, stating, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you princess. I promise."

Blair sighed and buried her face into Jo's protective shoulder. She believed her. She wanted to believe her. But she was still afraid. Wilton could be the killer, but at this point, they had no proof. All they knew was that he had committed a previous crime, one in which Jo believed they could at least nail him for.

 

Natalie tapped on the door and waited for a response. Tootie looked around the eerie apartment hallway which was lit up with dim lights. It wasn't a terribly shabby place, but it clearly showed wear, age and inept management. An older gentleman in his fifties answered the door. His hair and mustache was grey and thin, and his suspenders had some black tape on two different ends. The tape job was more of the result of procrastination rather than financial woe. 

"Hello sir, are you George Springer," Natalie asked in a friendly tone. The man nodded and replied, "Yes I am. Are you detective Polniaczek?" Tootie quickly spun her head around and started, "You told him you wer-" She was cut off as Nat placed her hand on her mouth.

"Yes, I told him I was coming alone, but you insisted on coming along, detective Affinado." Tootie stared at her and thought to herself, _"Incredible. So she's dragged me into a web of lies. Kelly and Jo are gonna murder us! I admit, I'm impressed Green, you sexy beast."_

The older man raised an eyebrow and invited them in. They sat down on his little green couch and watched him shuffle newspapers out of his chair. His apartment was small, modest and a little messy. Mr. Springer sat down and cleared his throat uncomfortably and faced the two women. 

"So Mr. Springer, as you know I called you about your connection to the late Thomas Morrison. We discussed about how you two went to Langley together back in 1970," Natalie stated to catch the man up to speed. A very small grin was seen on his face as he remembered the days from his youth. His grin disappeared though as he replied, "Yes, we did. He was my roommate at the time, and even though we weren't super close or anything, we still knew about each other's whereabouts."

Tootie, putting on her professional acting abilities to play a detective, asked, "Mr. Spencer, you stated in your original eyewitness report that Morrison was hanging out with a 'really weird animal gang.' Did you know anything else about it, or who was involved?"

The man fidgeted in his seat as he tried to recall his aged memories. Finally he answered, "Tom didn't really talk about the group he was in. He joined them because he was troubled and he was looking for some sort of outlet. The only 'friend' I knew of his was this guy named Roger Wilton. That guy...That guy was really weird. I remember he was really into wolves, and he studied them all the time, especially how they'd kill. He creeped everyone out with his talk about 'killer instincts,' and how killing is in every living thing's nature." He paused and thought for a moment before continuing, "After the initial investigation, Tom changed...He became distant, and he rarely spoke to anyone. I always got the feeling that he was carrying around some sort of fear or guilt or something. And if I remember correctly, Roger was always around him."

Mr. Springer sighed. He shook his head and spoke, "I can't do this anymore. There's something I need to confess...When I gave my statements back then, I lied about Tom's alibi. He was out with the group whenever they went killing. I know this because he came back to our dorm one night covered in blood. He was freaked out; I think he might've been high. He begged me not to tell anyone, and said he shouldn't be held responsible if he didn't directly kill anybody. Roger came by shortly after and threatened me. He said he'd 'kill me and eat me if I told the cops.' I was so frightened and scared...So when I was questioned, I made up an alibi for Tom. I regret it now...Especially with these new killings."

The two women glanced at each other. The older gentleman was sincere in his words, and the guilty expression on his broad face confirmed it. With this newfound information, they felt like they had enough evidence to bring to Jo. Natalie rose to her feet and shook the man's hand, saying, "Sir, thank you so much for your help. We have enough info to share with our collogues."

He shook her hand, then Tootie's, and replied, "You're welcome. You don't know how much weight's been lifted off my shoulders. 

When they exited the apartment and headed toward the elevator, Tootie spoke, "Jesus, so Tom Morrison and Roger Wilton were involved in some crazy cannibal gang. Years later Morrison commits suicide and Wilton goes on to build a hotel business, and now he's working for Warner Textiles and could very possibly be the serial killer...Oh shit!" She stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed Natalie.

"Natalie we have to tell Jo! Blair's working with a psychotic maniac and she doesn't even know it," Tootie exclaimed anxiously. The reporter held her and replied, "I know, I know, we're gonna go to them now."

Natalie's cell phone chirped at her from her pocket. She answered it when she saw it was Jo on the other line. 

"Hello," she quickly greeted. Jo replied, "Hey Nat. Are you still comin' over to Mrs. G's tonight for dinner?"

The brown-haired woman replied, "Yeah yeah, but Jo when Tootie and I get there, we really need to talk to you and Blair. It's very serious."

Puzzled by the urgency in her friend's voice, Jo replied, "Ok Nat, no problem. I really gotta go though. I'm gonna pick up Blair from the office, so you can tell me when ya get to the house. See ya."

The brunette hung up before the producer could say anything. She cursed and placed her phone back into her pocket. She held Tootie's hand firmly and said, "Come on Tootie, we gotta go."

 

Blair had been called in for a brief meeting at the Warner office. Tad, her father and Roger Wilton were waiting in her office so they could discuss the finalization meeting that was to be held the next day. According to Wilton, he wanted to make sure his presentation was approved for the meeting. Blair, now knowing that Mr. Wilton was responsible for the robbery from the past, was angry, scared and stressed all at the same time. Jo directed her to keep calm when interacting with him and to not let on that she knew anything. It was difficult for the heiress though, as her nerves were getting to her.

The three men were spread out in Blair's office; Roger sat on the mini sofa, David stared out the window and Tad poked around at her desk. He looked at the frame of Jo and smiled. While most of the building's employees opinions on the president's love life ranged from nosy to unflattering, Tad's was consistently supportive. He couldn't help but care for Blair as a friend. She had done a lot for him.

The heiress entered the room briskly and kept her eyes ahead, avoiding Roger's gaze. She acknowledged the group by saying, "Evening gentlemen. I'm hoping we can get this over swiftly because I have a dinner date with friends." David took notice of his daughter's odd mood and asked, "Everything alright Blair?"

"Of course Daddy, everything's fine," she answered with a slight smirk. Her eyes drifted toward Roger, and immediately she glared at him. The man's gaze met hers as he stared right into her soul. He got the impression that whatever her mood was, it wad directed to him. His blank expression remained the same nonetheless as he rose.

"Ms. Warner, I called you here because I wanted your approval on my presentation for tomorrow," he stated plainly. She responded, "Of course, we can take care of it." She sat down at her desk and shifted her seat a little away from Wilton when he came over. He placed his notes down for her to read and watched. Tad examined the man carefully and then studied Blair's body language, which read 'uncomfortable.' David didn't pick up on the interaction until Tad gently nudged him to acknowledge. They exchanged curious glances.

After spending seventeen minutes of reading the notes, Blair took off her reading glasses and said, "This looks good to me Mr. Wilton. I think you're good to go for tomorrow." The man grinned a toothy grin as he replied, "Thank you Ms. Warner. I'm positive the board will be impressed."

"I certainly am," she responded with a nervous grin. She rose from her desk and returned her glasses to her purse as she commented, "This is so good, it's like you planned a robbery or something."

The blonde froze instantly and glanced up at the businessman, thinking to herself, _"Why, for the love of **fuck** did I just say that? Oh my God, oh my God, I really hope he dismisses what I said."_

The president of the company stared at the man as he looked at her, seemingly startled by her wording. There was a long pause of uneasy silence before he smirked and said, "Heh, that's funny, Ms. Warner."

She weakly smirked and nodded. As soon as he took his notes and left the room, Blair made a beeline for the elevator. Tad and David called out to her as they rushed.

"Blair, what's wrong," Tad panted as he reached the elevator. She quickly answered before the door closed, "Nothing, everything's fine!"

When she reached the parking lot, she found Jo's Buick sitting and waiting. Jo saw the look of panic on the debutante's face and asked, "Somethin' wrong babe?"

"Nothing, let's just go," answered the heiress anxiously. As they drove off, Jo glanced over at her girlfriend as she peered out the window every few minutes, as if she was afraid that they were being followed.

The brunette rolled her eyes, unaware that they were being followed not too long after they left the city. They made it to Peekskill by the time the sun was setting beyond the horizon. 

 

Mrs. Garrett was struggling to reach the top of the shelf in the kitchen. Jo and Blair already got to work helping her as soon as they took off their coats when they entered the store. Jo noticed the old woman struggling, and promptly walked over and lifted her up. 

"Oh," cried out the startled Edna, "Jo, are you lifting me?"  The brunette grinned and replied, "Yep. Figured ya needed a hand." 

Her mentor clucked timidly, "Well, you could've just reached for the canister of garlic for me instead." Blair smirked and chimed, "Jo's always looking for an excuse to show off her strength." Jo grunted, "I do not." However, her smirking face stated otherwise.

After putting the old woman down, the detective heard the phone ring and went to answer it. Just at that moment, Tootie and Natalie arrived. Mrs. Garrett greeted them, "There you two are! Jo told me you had something urgent to tell her."

"We do, Mrs. Garrett," said Tootie as she took off her jacket. She hung it up and quickly walked over to Blair and Edna and stated, "We have information for Jo, about the case! Where is she?"

Blair answered, "She's in the living room answering the phone. Wait, why are you two involved?"

Natalie responded carefully, "I was curious about the whole wolf angle in the case, so I did some digging around and found out that there were similar murders that took place back in the 70s at Langley. Thomas Morrison and Roger Wilton were involved in this gang that performed ritualistic killings, but they couldn't prove that they were directly involved because Morrison's roommate covered for him, creating a fake alibi. Jo's gotta know this!" 

The heiress's mouth fell open in shock. She couldn't believe it, and it made her extremely fearful, as did Mrs. Garrett. The old woman turned and called out, "Jo, come here, please! Tootie and Natalie need to talk to you!"

"Hold on Kelly," said Jo as she placed the phone into the crook of her neck and entered the kitchen, "What is it?"

Tootie exclaimed, "Jo, we think we know who the wolf is! It's Roger Wilton!"

"What," Jo questioned before she put the phone back to her ear, "Give me a minute Kell." She put the phone down and stared coldly at her friends, asking, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Natalie sighed and reiterated her explanation to the officer, who gasped as she listened. She felt her blood boil when Tootie mentioned the part where they pretended to be her and Kelly. She exclaimed, "You two went on a private investigation, pretended to be officers and meddled in my case without my consent or knowledge? I can have ya two arrested you know!"

"Jo, that doesn't matter right now! The point is that Roger might be the killer," chimed Blair frantically. The brunette was exasperated and wanted to scold them further, but then she remembered her important phone call and returned to it, though she stayed in the circle of friends when she spoke, "I'm still here Kelly. I apologize, my friends were sharin' somethin' with me..." She glared at Natalie and Tootie as she said this.

Kelly, growing impatient, replied curtly, "Well I hope they're done because this is really important. Cindy and I finally found the evidence we've been lookin' for. Roger Wilton's the wolf!"

The brunette's eyes widened as she muttered, "What?"

The black haired officer explained, "We found a diary entry he made in 1992 not long after the robbery. In it he babbled about a nightmare he had in which he watched Roger Wilton kill and eat a woman, and in the dream he started participating in the cannibalism himself. In all of the diaries, he talks about this dream in several entries, so we assume this must've been a reoccurring dream for 'em. Then we went through the last diary he kept. In it he stated that he stayed in contact with Roger because the guy was holding a blackmail over his head. Listen to this," she read the context of one the paragraphs from the diary, "he says here, and I quote, 'I was foolish to think I could run away from my past. Those killings at Langley will haunt me for life, and Roger knows this. He's told me numerus times when I tried to abandon him that he would reveal to the authorities that he and I participated in the cannibalistic rituals when we were a part of the gang.'"

Jo ran her hand through her hair as her heart pounded. This whole thing seemed to be too good to be true. After so many nightmares, painful memories and despairing moments, she was finally close to closing the ungodly case. She stammered, "W-What's this gang he talks 'bout?"

Kelly replied, "I wasn't sure at first. But last night Natalie came to the station and shared some info with me. She dug through some old police reports she found and gave them to me to read over. It turns out that in 1970 there were these murders goin'n on, and Morrison was a suspect in the case, but he never got caught. In fact, Nat was suppose to get back to me on that."

"So, Natalie helped ya figure out the gang thing," the brunette stated as she glanced over at Nat. The producer smiled proudly and received a kiss on the cheek from Tootie as a reward.

Kelly rattled on, "That's not all, listen to this; 'I can't handle this guilt and madness anymore. Roger tells me he's hellbent on becoming his spirit animal, a wolf, and if I talk to the police about it, he will reveal my secret. He doesn't care at all about the consequences. It's all just a sick game to him. I don't know how much longer I can go on covering up his murders for him. I'd rather die than watch the wolf kill the lambs.' Jo, Wilton's our guy! It all adds up, and this is enough to bring him in for questioning!"

The officer did not respond at first. She was stunned and tried to absorb the revelation carefully. Blair, Tootie, Natalie and Edna watched her as she took a deep breath and replied, "Wow...Ok, ok. Good. Let's go get 'em then."

She told her partner to hold on for a moment as she said to Edna, "Mrs. G, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cancel dinner tonight. Is that ok?"

"Of course it's ok J-" the old woman was cut off by a sharp knock at the door. The five women turned and stared out of the doorway toward the shop with confused expressions. Why on earth would someone knock on the door late in the evening when it had the closed sign up? They all exchanged anxious glances. Jo muttered over the phone, "Give me a minute Kell." She gave her girlfriend the phone and silently exited the kitchen, placing her hand on her gun as she did. Something didn't seem right, and it made the hairs on the back of the biker's neck stand up. Everyone held their breaths as they watched the brunette move into the shop.

Kelly was confused and figured she'd listened, as Blair had held the speaker outward unintentionally, allowing her to hear what was going on.

The biker quietly tip toed to the window and carefully peered out of it. She saw a dark, bulky figure standing outside. She moved toward the door and shouted, "We're closed, go home!" There was no response. Instead, the door was smashed through with extreme brute force, which pushed the officer away. Jo stumbled to the ground and braced herself as the door fell on top of her. She heard the other women scream as the figure entered. She pushed the fallen door away as she tried to free herself.

She gasped when she saw the figure. It appeared to be a man wearing a complex contraption of wires and mechanical prosthetics. The arms were covered by braces that sported giant sharp claws at the fingers, and most strikingly, a mechanical skull with razor sharp teeth. The rest of the body was dressed with an incomplete wolf pelt, and under the skull, Jo could see the man's face.

Blair recognized the face from a few feet away and cried, "It's Roger Wilton!" She and Natalie armed themselves with kitchen knives as Tootie quickly backed herself and Mrs. Garrett toward the kitchen door. The man hidden in the elaborated costume chuckled and said, "Very good Ms. Warner. But I'm afraid your detective skills won't help you in this situation."

He suddenly let out a vicious, disturbing growl and crouched down onto all fours. He then let out a haunting howl that echoed through the entire shop.

 

It was as if a nightmare had become reality.


	8. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang have to defend themselves from Roger Wilton's menacing attack. Will they succeed? Will Jo finally get her answers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second time I'm writing this chapter. I spent hours yesterday writing this...Only for AO3 to crash and erase my progress...

Jo pushed the door away and staggered to her feet. She quickly whipped out her gun and fired at Wilton, only to see the bullets bounce off the metal plating around his shoulders. He turned and charged at her and swung his clawed hand at her shoulder, creating a bloody gash. She collapsed and cried out in pain, dropping her gun by accident. The crazed man attempted to launch another blow, but was caught by Jo as she grabbed his arms and wrestled him. The two struggled violently to escape each other's grasps, but neither prevailed. 

Blair and Natalie ran toward the two and stabbed through Wilton's fur pelt, managing to penetrate it and hurt him. He gasped and threw Jo to the side and turned to them. The women couldn't really stab him again through his armored costume, but they had to try. They really couldn't think of logic at that point because they were so terrified. Their tactic was to dodge him and attempt to stab him at any given chance. They managed to cut some of the wires, causing the mechanical parts to short circuit and ruin the mechanics of the suit. His claws no longer responded properly as he tried to use them, but instead they twitched like crazy. The killer began to panic as he tried to get away from them. He did not notice Tootie in the background as she ran up behind him and bash his head over with a heavy kitchen hammer. The blow dented the metal skull and caused a deafening ringing sensation in Wilton's head. He stammered to the corner of the room and lost his balance, then he fell to the floor, seemingly unconscious. 

"Grab somethin' to tie him up with," commanded Jo as she groaned in pain. Blair ran to her side and helped her sit up, and then she took a look at Jo's wound and gasped. She exclaimed, "Jo! Your shoulder's bleeding!" The brunette groaned and replied, "It's just a cut, Blair." The blond couldn't believe her ears; the stubborn officer was claiming that her obvious bloody gash was nothing more than a cut. Incredible.

Natalie and Tootie finished tying the unconscious criminal up, and once that was done, they rushed to Jo's side. Mrs. Garrett joined them and used a cloth to press against the gash. Then the five women heard sirens blasting outside and lights flashing in the window. Kelly heard the commotion over the phone and immediately ordered backup. She and Cindy barreled in with their guns ready. Several other officers invaded the premise to find other sources of danger. Kelly examined the killer and then called in two officers to take him out of the shop.

"You guys ok," she asked frantically when she turned her attention to the women sitting on the floor. Her eyes widened in panic when she saw the blood on Jo's clothes. Cindy spoke, "I'm gonna call the paramedics." 

Jo grunted with a pained expression, "I'm fine, just get him out of here and get him down at the station."

Kelly angrily replied, "Are you out of your fucking mind? You're not fine, Jo, you got a big ass flesh wound!" The biker rolled her eyes and carefully rose from the floor with the aid of her friends. While Cindy called for medical aid, Blair turned to the other detective and said, "I know you still have to question him, but I'm pretty sure this guy is it..." The short-haired woman nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long until Jo was carted away to the hospital to have her wound addressed. She grumbled and complained the entire time, much to the other musketeers' annoyance. Luckily, the doctor forced the bleeding to stop and cleaned the cut. She sat on the table as the doctor began to place stitches in. Blair held her hand while Nat and Tootie sat close to her. Mrs. Garrett saw Cindy as she approached them.

"What's going to happen now," the old woman asked.

The others looked at the blond tomboy as she answered, "Well, we have him in a cell right now, and we removed his crazy outfit. As soon as he woke up he went insane, screaming and howling at us. We gotta wait before we can question him," she turned to Blair and continued, "We found his car parked on the other side of the street with a shovel and several garbage bags and saws in the trunk. As soon as we opened it, we smelled death. The claws were consistent with the markings on all of the other victims, meaning he used them on all of them."

Tootie gulped and asked shakily, "Was he planning on killing us...?"

Cindy took a deep breath and answered, "Most likely. We think he followed Blair all the way from town..."

The heiress gasped fearfully. She looked at Jo and said, "I-I almost got us all killed...Oh my God..." The heiress teared up and wiped her eyes.

 Her girlfriend grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, saying, "Blair, you saved my life! You, Natalie and Tootie! I don't think I could've taken that guy out by myself. You were really brave." She placed a kiss on her lover's knuckles and held her hand tightly. She then added, "I owe ya my life."

The debutant sniffled and then kissed the ruffian's head and pressed her forehead against hers. The doctor impatiently backed away as the other women wrapped themselves around his patient in a loving embrace.

"Ladies, please! Ms. Polniaczek needs stitches," he said in an irritated tone. They did as they were told and gave him space.

 

 

December 7th, 2002-The interrogation room, police station.

 

The cops were unable to question Wilton the entire night he was in their custody. He was hysterical and extremely aggressive, having made several attempts to bite the officers. The next day, however, he seemed to calm down, which was unnerving. He sat in his cell, staring at the floor with a cold, expressionless face. He never spoke a word, not even when he was asked if he wanted a lawyer. Kelly knew this wasn't going to be easy. 

She sat next to Jo in the silent interrogation room. The room felt cold with Wilton's presence, and it made both officers uncomfortable. Kelly stared at the man as she asked hoarsely, "You have anything to say? Or are ya gonna just sit there?"

He said nothing, and instantly her blood pressure went up. She spoke more tensely, "You can't hide anything from us, Roger Wilton. We have evidence. You're old pal Morrison wrote confessions in his diaries explain'n everything you've done."

"Then why are we here," he asked plainly.

Kelly clutched her fists angrily and prepared to counter him, but Jo calmly put her hand in front of her partner and said, "Because we need answers. Why did you do all of this? What was the big plan?" 

Once again, he said nothing. Jo leaned back in her seat and relaxed a little. She didn't want him to sense her uncomfortableness or anger. She added coolly, "Tell us about the wolf. I assume it must've been real hard for you, doin'n all of this to achieve your goal. What is your goal?"

He finally responded, as his eyes glanced up at the women. After a few minutes, he began to talk, "All my life, I knew I was different. I didn't think the same way as others, I didn't feel the same way as others. I was...different. And for some reason, it bothered me. It wasn't until I went to Langley did I finally find something to fit into. I found this group that embraced the ideas of spirit animals. Thomas and I became friends, and together we learned that all human beings were the reincarnations of animals, and that we should embrace our ancient ways. Some ate grass like cows, or climbed trees like sloths...Others became carnivores. We would eat nothing but meat, sometimes raw. But it wasn't enough. We needed the thrill of the hunt to satisfy our need to become animals. So, we started to hunt people. It was exhilarating; I felt no guilt for it at all, I didn't feel like a human anymore. I was a wolf."

"However, the police started investigating the murders, and I didn't want to get caught. I forced Thomas's roommate to keep quiet about what we were doing. I had to keep Thomas from squealing as well, because he was weaker than me. He felt guilt, like the pathetic fool he was. Once we were no longer under suspicion, we fled and laid low for a long time. I went into the hotel business for my father's sake, and for a while I was satisfied with that. But recently, my desires to become the wolf resurfaced. I couldn't fight it; I needed my wolf form. So I began to kill. It took a long while, but I managed to connect with my inner self. I built the suit to complete the transformation, taking what I had learned from my brief time learning about engineering. I would've completed the ritual, if you and your friends hadn't interrupted me."

 

Jo and Kelly just stared at the man. They were disturbed by how calm, collected and straightforward was in his speech. Jo leaned forward and stated coldly, "I hope you're aware that you are gonna go away for a very, very long time. There's no way you're gonna get away with any of this."

Wilton suddenly gave her a small, sinister grin. He said confidently, "Are you sure about that, Ms. Polniaczek? Many horrible people get away with horrible things, mostly because the justice system doesn't rely on common sense. Common people like to pride themselves on knowing what is right and what isn't. Isn't that why you joined the police force, because you thought it was right?"

The brunette didn't like where he was going with this, and she was becoming angrier as he went on. He continued, "If the justice system was so flawless, then you wouldn't feel the need to become a cop, would you?" Jo interrupted him and barked, "No one ever said it was flawless!"

"But that's what frustrates you, isn't it? You expect a system to work properly and be fair, but it's not, is it? It never ends; the constant disappointment in people and the world," his frightening grin grew wider as he spoke. He knew he was getting on her nerves, and he was very pleased when she shouted at him, saying, "That's enough!"

Filled with rage, Jo leaped out of her seat and readied herself to launch at the killer. But Kelly grabbed her and shouted at her to stop. Cindy and her captain, Maria Rodriguez, were in the backroom watching it all unfold. They quickly entered the interrogation room and put a stop to the biker's tirade. Cindy and Maria took Jo out of the room and walked her back to her desk.

"I think you need a break," Maria said, letting go of her young detective's arm. Jo grunted and stormed outside to get herself fresh air. The captain shook her head and sighed. She decided it was time to have a talk with the younger woman. She walked outside the building and found Jo sitting on a nearby bench, sulking. The captain sat down next to her and clasped her hands together and waited to see if the other woman would respond to her presence.

Jo knew she was sitting there, but she didn't turn her head. Instead, she asked quietly, "Does it ever get better? Dealin' with all of this shit? Dealin' with the killers, the drug dealers, the abusers, the rapists...Any of it?" 

Maria smirked slightly and looked down, replying, "It won't get better Jo. You only build a harder shell," she turned her head to her and continued, "Look, you need to understand that you're not weak for feeling the way you have been lately. This job's rough; you gotta deal with the worst of humanity, and it can really shake your faith in people. It doesn't help that you're young and you've only been here for five years. You got a long way to go still."

The brunette looked down and commented, "What if I don't want to continue though? What if this job becomes too much?" Maria's eyes narrowed as she replied, "I don't believe that's true. Some people can handle it, and others can't. It's ok either way. To me, you're a lot stronger than you think you are."

"But how is that," Jo countered, feeling a little exasperated by this conversation. Her captain blew out a breath and replied, "Because you believe in justice. You believe in protecting people who can't defend themselves. Wilton might've had a point, but he only said that because he thinks he can benefit from that mindset. The bad guys don't always get away, because there's always gonna be people who actually give a damn about justice."

She put her hand on Jo's good shoulder and continued her speech with conviction, "You're a tough one kid, you really are. It'll never be easy, and trust me, you're always gonna have those moments where you feel vulnerable. It's perfectly ok when you do, and you're allowed to feel that way. But you gotta remember this; you got a lot of family and friends who love you and will be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on. They don't have to understand it, but they just gotta be there for you. That'll help make you stronger, as well as being honest with yourself. Does it make sense?"

The biker slowly nodded, taking in her leader's words. She took a deep breath and said, "I think I do..." The two looked at each other. Jo really admired her captain for her wise words and good nature. Maria understood her, but she didn't put up with her crap. She actually appreciated that. She then asked, "You think I can try out for sergeant? I know ya mentioned it a long time ago." Her superior shrugged and answered, "I think you could, but honestly, I think you should wait. Get more experience under your belt." 

The brunette nodded and got up with her superior officer. Maria patted Jo's arm heartily and walked back into the building with her.

 

December 31st, 2002-Edna's Edibles

The girls were at Edna's shop and were getting ready to leave for the city. They spent a pleasant Christmas with Mrs. Garrett when her own family members were unable to join her. Even though she was disappointed, she understood they weren't avoiding her. Jo, Blair, Tootie and Natalie spending the holiday with her made up for it. Now they were getting ready for New Year's Eve.

Blair put on her white fur coat on, then she noticed Jo struggling to button up her black jacket. She smiled and assisted her, which made Jo blush a little. The ruffian said, "Heh, thanks babe," she saw Tootie and Natalie in the corner of her eye and made a disgusted expression, commenting, "Ugh, look at those two."

Blair turned and saw the two other women nuzzling each other's noses and making obnoxious noises to one another, like typical lovers. They then proceeded to make kissy faces, which annoyed Jo further. Blair gave Jo a look and said, "Aw come on Jo, they're in love! You do that to me sometimes." She smirked when Jo grumbled and looked down, blushing. She kissed her cheek and quipped, "Quit being a macho grumpy bear." The brunette pouted and looked away. Her girlfriend smiled wildly as she watched her get flustered.

Edna entered the room and said, "Ok girls, we better get going. It's going to be hectic in the city! If we want to watch the ball drop, we have to be there on time." The group herded themselves out of the store and into Jo's car. After buckling in, they drove away and headed out. Tootie leaned closer to the passenger seat and asked, "Blair, I've been meaning to ask you, how did the meeting go today?"

The heiress took a small breath and replied, "It went better than I thought it would. After talking with Tad and my father, I decided it was best to cancel the hotel project. We can't continue sinking money into it with no fruit to bare. A lot of the board members weren't happy, but I told them that we have no choice; we're losing money. I suggested we look into other avenues to expand the company."

She looked down at her hands and sighed. Concerned, Natalie asked, "Everything Ok Blair?" The blond shrugged and answered, "I don't know. After all that's happened...I might have to think about the possibility of maybe stepping down..." Everyone gasped as Tootie asked, "Why?" The heiress shook her head and replied, "Because I don't know if I'm truly capable of running this company! None of the board members believe in me, everyone's always giving me a hard time, it's just...frustrating."

"I don't think you should give up so quickly Blair. I know it's hard, but you can overcome this if you put your mind to it, I'm sure of it," said Mrs. Garrett, who was disappointed to hear this. She knew Blair worked very hard for her family's company, and she hated the idea of the brilliant woman giving up. Jo chimed in, "I agree with Mrs. G, babe. You can't give up. You're just goin' through a rough patch. With time, it'll get better."

"Taking advice from your therapist," asked Blair, raising an eyebrow. The biker's only response was a soft smile, confirming her girlfriend's statement. The blond shook her head and added, "I don't know, maybe you're right..." She decided to change the subject, "Tootie, how are you doing now that you've gone back to acting?"

The actress brightened and replied cheerfully, "Great! I've gotten five role offers from five different soap operas!" 

"Still can't believe ya gave up that talk show gig," commented Jo. Tootie shrugged and stated, "The higher-ups kept fighting with Nat, and I wasn't gonna stand there and watch them bully my cuddle-butt."

Jo blinked in confusion and repeated, "Cuddle-butt?" Natalie nodded proudly and chimed in, "And I call her honey bean." The couple blew air kisses at each other. Mrs. Garrett and Blair chuckled while Jo rolled her eyes.

Natalie brought the conversation back by stating, "They didn't like the changes I wanted to make, so I figured it was a good excuse to quit." Blair asked with some concern, "What are you going to do now?" The former producer thought for a moment and replied, "I think I'm gonna go back to reporting. I miss being out on the field, digging up the good dirt."

Edna smiled and expressed, "These last couple of months have been something, haven't they? When I called you all for a reunion, I couldn't have imagined it would've led to where we are now."

Blair grinned and added, "It certainly took a turn. But I think it was a good turn." Tootie and Natalie nodded and said in unison, "Agreed." Jo grinned and nodded slowly, silently agreeing with the sentiment. The women continued their drive to the city, excited to welcome the new year.

 

They didn't know what their futures would be, but they knew they would be together through it all. That was they were about; they were the Four Musketeers, and with their wise mentor by their side, and with each other's love, they would get through whatever life would throw at them. 

 


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small look into the future, where the girls are taking on new ventures in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like After the Facts, but I'm going to take a break to work on other FOL-related stories, particularly exploring new pairing ideas. I'll take what I've learned from this and improve my writing skills. If anyone followed this to the end, thank you! I hope you enjoyed it for what it was!

February 15th, 2005-Peekskill

 

Blair Warner entered the doorway of her house and let out a groan as she dropped her car keys into the wooden bowl.  She shuffled her way through the foyer and into the spacious kitchen to retrieve coffee. While she waited for the coffee maker to give her the sweet bean juice, she tried to drift away from her frustrating work day.

Two years before, Blair decided to stay in her position as president as the Warner Textile Company. Tad Mason was made her vice-president at her request, and since then, the management of the company had become a little easier. She got tougher and stronger, which helped her gain the trust of most of the board members. Still, there were some who continued to doubt her and antagonized her. Blair dealt with it as much as she could, and knowing she would come home to someone she loved made it tolerable.

 

She realized something; Jo was nowhere to be seen. She forgot about her coffee and made her way into the lovely living room. A human being couldn't be found, but another creature was laying on the floor. A brown Newfoundland puppy was curled up on his little blanket. Hearing the blond woman's heels click on the hard wooden floor, he immediately staggered to his feet and bounced his way toward her. He wagged his tail furiously and yawned mid-yelp, which made the woman chuckle.

"You can't even hold in a yawn before saying hello, huh Maximus," joked the heiress as she picked up the fuzzy pup. Blair wasn't really a fan of dogs, yet somehow she allowed Jo to talk her into adopting when they found an abandoned puppy wandering around in their yard. Maybe it was because the brunette was super excited over finding him, and the blond didn't have the heart to say no. It didn't take too long for Maximus to wiggle his way into Blair's heart. 

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise and a cry from the garage. Recognizing the voice, the concerned woman quickly left the room and went down the hall that lead to the garage. She entered the garage and put the pup down, then she called out, "Jo? Are you in here?"

"Yeah," grumbled the detective as she crawled out from under her car. She rubbed her forehead and rose to her feet, mumbling curses under her breath. Blair frantically grabbed her shoulders and asked, "Jo! What are you doing under the car?"

Jo answered, "I was just fixin' it Blair, then I bumped my head."

"You shouldn't be doing that," the heiress said sternly. Jo gave her an annoyed look and asked, "Why not? It's not the first time I bumped my head." Blair rolled her eyes and answered exasperatedly, "Jo, you shouldn't be crawling under cars in your condition!" The biker rolled her eyes and sighed, "Blair, c'mon. I'm just fixin' the car, not ridin' it through the Grand Canyon."

The blond's eyes narrowed as she tried to stare down her girlfriend, as if she could wield her to her senses. The ruffian gently pressed her forehead against her love's and said softly, "Quit worryin' 'bout me babe. Ya gonna make yourself sick." Blair sighed and rested her hand on the small bump in Jo's stomach. 

 

Two months ago, Jo Polniaczek agreed to start a family with her sweetheart. It took some time to come to the conclusion, but in the end, she decided to do it. Even though Blair had always said she really wanted to have kids, she made it clear to the detective that she didn't want her to feel forced. There were some arguments as to who would carry and whether or not they wanted to know the donator, but in the end the brunette had the final say; she would carry, and she wanted her good friend Rick Bonner to be the father. 

 

Jo kissed Blair sweetly and lovingly and asked, "How was your day?" The heiress grunted, "Awful. Sam was being an ass again at the meeting." Her love put her arm around her and led her out of the garage, commenting, "Why don't ya just fire that guy?" 

"Because he's Tad's cousin," she answered dryly. The couple left the garage and went into the kitchen for coffee and snacks. Maximus yelped at Jo for her attention. The brunette picked him up and greeted him happily, "Heya Maxi! Ya bein' a good boy?" The newfie pup licked her face in response, which earned a chuckle out of her. She then put him down and watched him scamper back into the living room.

 The blond chuckled and took out a peanut butter jar and some crackers. The two made themselves little cracker sandwiches and gossiped.

"Tootie called earlier and told me she and Nat are movin' here," said Jo as she munched on her cracker sandwich.

Blair was excited by this news, but she wondered why the two decided to move, since she remembered them both saying they had no desire to leave the city. She asked, "Really? How come?"

Jo swallowed and replied, "Their landlord found out they had a cat, and he told 'em to get lost if they didn't get rid of her." Annoyed, the rich woman sarcastically said, "He's such a prince. I know Tootie's complained about him several times." She suddenly grinned and announced, "We should throw them a pendre la cremaillere!"

Jo nearly choked on her remaining cracker and retorted, "A what?" 

"A pendre la cremaillere," Blair excitedly repeated. Jo blinked and quipped, "Blair, either speak English, Polish, Spanish or Italian to me. Not French." The company president rolled her eyes and sighed her classic sigh and whined, "Just for once can you not be so uncouth? I'm saying we should throw them a house warming party!"

"Oh," the detective uttered. She scratched the back of her head and replied, "I guess we could. Who would we invite?" Blair declared, "We can get Cindy and Sue Ann, since they live here to. And maybe we can get Molly and Nancy to come over as well!"

The brown-haired woman nodded and took a squig of her coffee and replied, "Heh, ok. I guess we can do that. Just don't do anythin' super fancy. Just keep it simple, ok?" The debutant nodded reassuringly and replied, "I promise, but I still want to look pretty." Jo smiled and took her hand and insisted, "You're always pretty no matter what." She placed a little kiss on her knuckles, which made Blair blush. The blond leaned in and kissed her affectionately, then mentioned, "So are you."

 

 

Tootie was in the kitchen scrubbing a pile of dishes which were left out the night before. A golden Persian cat sat on the counter and watched her intensely, as if the secrets of the universe were being revealed to her through the soap bubbles. The actress's eyebrow rose as she asked, "What're you looking at Butter Bean?" 

"Meow," answered Butter Bean. Tootie wiped her hands and smirked, then she scratched the top of the cat's head affectionately. She left the kitchen and sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Just then, Natalie came through the apartment door and announced, "I'm home, if I can call it that anymore." She sighed, walked over to Tootie and kissed her. 

"What's wrong," Tootie asked, concerned by the negative feeling radiating off of her girlfriend. Natalie plopped down next to her and answered, "Long day of reporting, then I went to talk to Pete and told him we bought a house. He told us we have until Monday to leave, because his 'allergies' keep acting up."

The actress rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I'm glad we're moving away. I can't stand him anymore...Why is he so nasty?" The reporter shrugged and gestured, "Guess he suspects that we're a couple, and he doesn't like that. He probably thinks we'll 'stain' the purity of this 'family' apartment building."

"But we're not even a family," Tootie muttered with a hint of sadness. Nat caught the underlying message in her words, and in an effort to comfort her, she wrapped her arm around her. She said soothingly, "Come on honey, we'll have our family. We're just having a little trouble."

 

After talking to Blair and Jo about having children, the couple were inspired. They liked the idea of becoming parents, so they decided to give it a try. However, they were having difficulty. They were having trouble finding a doner, and they weren't sure who would be the one to have the child. The situation was stressing Tootie out, and her love didn't like seeing her that way. This moving situation only added to it.

 

The smaller woman shrugged and leaned her head on her shoulder. Butter Bean trotted to the couch and hopped up onto Natalie's lap, then settled herself in comfortably. Natalie's petted the cat as her eyes became glued to the TV. She hoped the move would go smoothly, because as far as she was concerned, they didn't need any more stress. 

"I just thought of something," Natalie announced.

"What," Tootie asked, not moving from her comfortable spot.

Her partner elaborated, "We get to be neighbors with Jo and Blair."

A cheeky smile crossed the actress face as the thought of being neighbors with two of their closest friends popped into her head. She declared enthusiastically, "That's gonna be awesome."

The reporter grinned and nodded, adding, "I think it will."

 

 

END...? 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
